The Deepest Shade of Blue
by Xaphrin
Summary: Bumble Bee begs Raven to switch places with her for just a few weeks. Against her better judgment, Raven agrees. But two weeks is an awfully long time to be next to a handsome, Atlantean prince. Especially when Bee planted a poisonous seed of attraction.
1. Chapter 1

**The Deepest Shade of Blue  
**Chapter One

)O(

"For the millionth time: No."

"Raven… please… Robin even said it was okay…" Karen batted those huge, doe eyes at Raven. She just snorted in response and returned to her book, listening to the shuffling her companions made as they paced around the room. Raven peered over the top of her pages, following their hushed tones and whispers. What exactly were they planning? Karen looked over at Cyborg and he sighed, taking a few steps closer to Raven.

"As a gift for my birthday?"

Raven growled low in her throat. Of course he would pull that particular punch. After all the favors that he had given her over the years, like finagling some quiet time for her, taking shifts so she could meditate, protecting her in more ways than she thought possible, babysitting Beast Boy and keeping him away from her things, and… oh yeah, that whole thing with her _birthmark_, she really couldn't deny him anything. But _this_? Clearly he had it out for her. "Are you serious?"

"As a heart attack." He crossed his arms over his chest and stared at her in the way that only Cyborg could. That look that was a mixture between a big brother and a father, and was sure to break her resolve in ten seconds flat.

"_Fine_." Raven growled and snapped her book shut. Standing up she poked a finger into his chest and stood on tip-toe to look him in the eyes. "I'll switch with Bee for _two weeks_. That's it. One hour more and I will murder someone, and I'm not guaranteeing who. Although my money right now is on Speedy."

"Awe, Rae!" Karen jumped forward and wrapped her arms around Raven's neck, holding tightly. "You're the best! I owe you one big time."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever, just get off me." Raven peeled Karen's arms off her and took a step back, putting space between them. Staring at those huge grins on both of their faces made it _almost _worth it. Almost. However, the idea of putting up with Speedy for an extended period of time made that murderous bubble rise into her chest again. What exactly had she gotten herself into? "So, when are you thinking of this happening? Next week, month, year… never?"

"Nice try, Rae." Cyborg snorted and leaned back on his heels. "We were thinking tomorrow… you know, so we could spend the last few weeks of summer together. Out at the beach, by the pool… you know, just hanging out." Cyborg grabbed Karen's hand and smiled at her, and Raven thought she might get diabetes from the sweetness of it all. It was almost sickening the way they acted together.

"Please, save me the details." She waved them off with her hand and groaned. "So, I guess I should go pack my bags, because I am headed out to Steel tonight. To deal with Speedy, and Mas y Menos... remind me again, why did I agree to this glorified babysitting?"

"Because you love me." Cyborg pulled her into a hug that threatened to crush her bones. "And you can't resist my beautiful face."

"Ah, that explains a lot." Raven's lips twitched in the beginnings of a smile and she pulled away from him. As much as it pained her to admit, Cyborg was one of her best friends and she wouldn't have been able to deny him the world if he asked. "So, exactly what do you plan on me doing while I'm there? Besides house-sitting the pets."

"Oh, you know… just watch over the town and the boys while I'm gone. It's summer so things should die down a little… winter is always worse for us, not sure why." Karen shrugged nonchalantly, her eyes not quite meeting Raven's. That was an indicator right there that she was blowing smoke, if only Raven knew about what. "And come on, Rae, Speedy isn't all _that _bad." Raven glared at Karen, but she just laughed in response. "Okay, okay… there was that one time."

"Try four separate times he tried to _drunkenly _pick me up, with little or no tact at all, which was a huge blow to my ego. And to be quite frank, he's lucky his wandering hand wasn't removed and shoved down his throat."

"Well, if it's any consolation, I made him promise to stay twenty feet away from you at all times." Karen laughed again as Raven stared at her. "And Garth will be back tomorrow too, so if anyone gives you any trouble, you can always call on him."

"I'm sorry… _what_?" Raven, against her own will, turned a bright shade of red and stumbled backward a few feet. "I thought he went back home for a while doing… whatever it is he does." She hadn't even given a second thought to Aqualad being there. She heard that he had left for Atlantis a few months ago and was doing some of his princely duties, so Raven never thought she'd actually have to see him or interact with him. Her stomach gave a weird, unfamiliar lurch and she looked away.

"Yeah, I told him about the possibility of a switch and he said that he'd be back around the time you and I swapped." She picked at her nails, avoiding eye contact. _What_ was she doing behind Raven's back, and why did it set her teeth on edge? Nothing good was going to come from this, she just needed to accept that now.

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Exactly how did you tell him when I _just _agreed to this?"

Karen grinned back at her. "Wild guess."

"Yeah, yeah." Raven glanced at the clock and groaned. Karen looked at her with those sweet, hopeful eyes. The ones that reminded Raven of a child looking at a very big, brightly wrapped present. "Stop looking at me like that, I'm _going_. Jeez."

Karen laughed. "Sorry…" She followed Raven down the hall to her room. "I'm just so excited that you agreed to this! Sparky told me you would never switch, _ever_. And after all the times I asked you, I was beginning to think he was right."

"Normally, that would be the case." Raven entered her room, and Karen followed, plopping down on her bed. Karen was one of the few people Raven allowed in her room, mostly because she knew that she could trust her not to touch anything. That was not true for Beast Boy or Starfire. "But when Cyborg asks for a favor like that… well, I cave."

"You know, he really loves you. You're like the little sister he always wanted." Karen tucked her legs under herself and watched Raven move around the room, packing her bag. There were a few moments of silence as Raven threw her things together, keeping a mental tally of what exactly she needed for the next two weeks. If only she could remember where she put her earplugs… That would have saved her a whole lot of trouble. "I _am_ really thankful."

Raven jumped and turned to Karen, cocking her head to the side. "You know I'll help you out when I can."

"I know… It's just _hard_… not being able to see him as often as I'd like. Especially now that things are getting _serious_." Karen offered a grin to Raven, who rolled her eyes in response. Too much info. " And I hate to pull you away from Jump, Robin always throws a holy hissy-fit. You know, he's pretty damned good at making me feel like I've destroyed the world because I want to take you or Sparky for a few days."

"That's his power." Raven snorted and picked through her panties. "Super Nagging."

"That is an interesting super power. Sounds annoying and useless." There was a pause, and Raven felt Karen's eyes on her back. Sighing, she turned to see Karen eyeing the utilitarian, black panties in her hand. Raven glared, but Karen barely batted an eyelash. "Don't you have anything… more attractive? I mean, those are _so _boring."

"Bee… exactly _who _is going to see my panties but me?" Raven threw them in her bag, rolling her eyes. "I'm taking them."

"You never know… you want to be prepared in the event of that last summer fling." Undeterred by Raven's glare, Karen got up and pushed Raven to the side, rifling through her under-things. "Oh! _These_ are cute! And these… and… Is there a reason these all have the tags on them? Have you ever worn these before?" Karen pulled out every pair of underwear that had lace or prints or showed considerable skin and threw it into Raven's bag. "Every woman should wear sexy panties, they make you feel saucy."

Raven raised an eyebrow and plucked a few of the more risqué ones out of her bag. "Do I _look_ saucy? And furthermore, do I even _want_ to be _saucy_ with Speedy around? I'm telling you, if he's missing by the time you get back, you _know_ what happened."

Karen laughed and threw the risqué ones back in her bag. "Why buy them if you don't even want to wear them?"

"I'm still asking myself that question." Raven gave up on fighting and wandered to her bathroom to pick up her toothbrush and other toiletries. When she walked out, Karen was wandering through the clothes in her closet, picking out things for her to bring. Raven groaned and picked through the pile she was making: skinny jeans, skirts, tight shirts, a lacey bra (did she even _own_ one of those?)… and _how_ did Karen find her bikini? Raven thought she threw that away last year. "What are you doing?"

"Just helping you pack." Karen smiled at her and threw more clothes on the pile.

"Stop 'helping'… you're picking out the wrong kinds of things." Raven threw her bikini back into the dresser drawer and glared at her friend. "I am taking my uniforms, my boring underwear, one pair of jeans, one _boring_ t-shirt, and my pajamas. That's it, nothing else. Now get your hands off the mini-skirt or so help me, I will hurt you."

"Why do you have this and not wear it?" Karen held up the skirt to Raven's hips. She sighed in response and backed away. This was one fight she would probably lose, but she couldn't let Karen know that. It would inflate her ego. Karen folded it up and threw it in Raven's bag, crossing her arms over her chest as if taunting her friend. "You have all these cute things, and I never see them on you."

"Yes, for good reason." Raven pulled it out and threw it on the floor, glaring. "Starfire made me buy them. I don't like them, and I don't want them. You can have them, if you want, but do not expect to see them on me. Ever."

"But…" Karen picked up the miniskirt and sighed, fiddling with the ruffles. "You'd look so cute."

Raven growled and let her eyes flash red for a moment. That comment stepped over the line and Karen knew that. "I am _not _cute."

Karen was undeterred. "Says who?" She picked up the pile of clothing she had picked out and shoved it into her bag, cramming everything in there. She zipped the zipper in some display of finality and handed the bag to Raven, who was still growling. What did that girl think she was doing? "I think you're cute. Sparky thinks you're sweet." Raven made a mental note to kill Cyborg later. Cute was one thing, but "sweet" was just cause for murder. "Speedy thinks you're cute too."

Raven rolled her eyes. "Speedy is a hopeless womanizer and he doesn't count."

"Even Garth thinks you're cute."

Raven felt her heart drop into her stomach and the bag slipped from her hands to the floor. Color flooded her face as she stared at her friend. "What?"

Karen pretended not to notice the shocked expression on Raven's face and she seemed more interested in finding the bikini that Raven had returned to the dresser. "Oh? Did I say Garth? Well, _cute_ wasn't the exact word he used with me but I guess it's kind of close to the truth."

"Bee…" Raven took a step forward, her hand outstretched as if she wanted something. Karen dropped her bikini in her hand, smirking. Raven stared at the scraps of fabric and sighed, knowing full well that she was going to have to make a deal. "What did he say to you?"

Karen's eyes flashed and her smirk transformed into a grin. "Only if you take everything _I_ packed with you."

Raven groaned and stared at the ceiling. Was it really worth it? Just to find out what _Aqualad _said about her? Furthermore, why did she care? He was a teammate. A comrade. There should have been no reason for her to act like a silly girl and burst into a blush every time his name was dropped. But still… the curiosity was eating at her. Raven sighed in defeat, she would take the stupid clothes, but that didn't mean she had to wear them. "_Fine_. Just, tell me what he said."

"Pinky promise?" Karen held out her hand, and Raven connected her own hand with Karen's, giving her a mumbled word of compliance. Karen offered a broad, slightly mischievous smile and put her hands on her hips. "He said you were sensual."

"I… what?" Raven tried to process this information, but her brain wasn't exactly working properly. He thought she was _sensual_, not sexy (which Raven always considered a childish adjective), but _sensual. _Her face turned red with a blush and she was forced to look away. "You're joking."

"In drunken ramblings there is a sober truth." Karen offered her a playful wink before taking the bikini from her hands and shoving it into the bag. "You should have heard the other things he mentioned. I thought the place was going to go up in flames which the way he was talking about you."

"Like _what_?" Raven knew she had to be playing a joke on her. There was no way that Aqualad, who was (first and foremost) a prince and the heartthrob of women everywhere, would have an interest in _her,_ Raven, that "other girl" from the Titans. She pressed a hand to her forehead and groaned. "Stop teasing me, Bee. You make my self-esteem shrivel every time."

"Oh?" Karen handed her the bag, a soft smile on her lips. "Am I teasing? I thought you wanted to know what Garth said about you. But, if you're not interested…" She trailed off and started for the door. "I guess we'll just be going then."

"Shut up, Bee." Raven rolled her eyes and hitched the bad further up on her shoulder. If she wanted to tease her, that was one thing, but dragging Garth into it made the situation that much more uncomfortable. Especially since Raven was going to have to spend the next two weeks with him, and now that poisonous seed was now planted in her mind. Karen must have _really _wanted to tease her today.

)O(

"Are you serious?" Raven tried to groan, but her nostrils were filled a peculiar film of dust and she ended up giving a rather unladylike sneeze. It was her first hour in Steel and Raven was already crawling through a dirty air-duct, chasing a criminal who thought he wouldn't be noticed. He obviously neglected to think about all the noise the thin sheet metal made when touched by anything. Somewhere below her she could hear Mas y Menos chasing after her. Raven's elbow gave out under her weight in the awkward position, and she collapsed on to her stomach with a curse. "This is ridiculous. Damnit. Bee better _fucking love_ me after this."

"You can't catch me." The criminal was crawling along on his belly, staring at her over his shoulder. "I'm too fast for you."

Raven rolled her eyes, blinking the dust from them. Why her? Why did this happen to her? Furthermore, why did she _agree _to this? Something must have been seriously wrong with her head. "No, I can't _kill_ you, that would be murder. But I _can_ catch you and I can take you to jail. And then I can let some guy named Butch do whatever he damn-well pleases with you. How do you like that scenario, _huh_?"

The criminal paused, as if playing out the scene in his head, before continuing on his belly. "You can't catch me!"

"Oh for the love of…" Raven let off a string of profanities, most of them in her native tongue.

"Estamos aqui!" Mas y Menos shouted up at the air duct, and Raven could hear the stretching of Speedy's bow. Thank the Goddess for small miracles; she just wanted the day to be over with. Raven disintegrated the duct beneath the criminal, and he went tumbling down to the floor. A half a second later, something went wrong, of course. Because nothing would _ever_ be easy when it was related to Raven. The boys were shouting hurriedly in Spanish, Speedy was trying to chase after them, and the criminal was hanging by his fingertips, literally. The metal tore, he fell, and then, a splash.

The world seemed to stop turning.

Raven's stomach flopped a little at the sound of water, and she poked her head out of the hole she created. Aqualad stood next to Mas y Menos, talking with them as if he had been there the whole time and had not made a rather valiant, last minute appearance. Speedy had already hand-cuffed the criminal and was delivering him into the police's hands, making rather awful jokes with the other boys. Raven pulled herself out of sight before anyone noticed her. Why would her hands not stop shaking? And why were Bee's comments still haunting her?

"Raven?" Oh no. Aqualad. Maybe if she stayed quiet he wouldn't know she was there. Maybe she could do that for the next two weeks and he would be none the wiser. That was a fool's wish. "Raven? Is everything okay? Are you injured? Do you need help?"

No, she needed to find her stomach and her sanity. Raven took a deep breath before offering a weak "no." She cleared her throat, and with as much dignity as she could muster, floated down to the ground floor. Aqualad watched her with a strange, curious glint in his eyes. "I'm fine. I was just catching my breath."

"Ah." He offered her a small, sheepish smile. "Sorry, I'm late. I got caught up in something in Atlantis and I lost track of time."

"Oh…" Raven feigned ignorance to save her face. "That's right. Bee told me you might be coming back." She paused and wiped at her face, trying to get the dirt from her cheeks. She knew she must have looked like hell, her face was smudged with dirt and her hair was all over the place. In spite of what most people thought, she did take pride in her appearance. Walking around, looking like a dust-bunny found under the bed, was _not_ her idea of an okay public appearance. Not to mention that she was standing in front of _Aqualad_. What did she do to deserve this kind of karma? "How is everything there?"

"Fine… things are settling down after a small uprising. I think with a few more negotiations everything will turn out just fine." He chuckled politely behind a hand, and Raven looked up at him with an expression that could only be termed "exhaustannoyed." How did this happen to her? _How_? Aqualad pulled out a handkerchief and rubbed some dirt off her cheek. "You've got some dirt... right here."

"Thank you." Raven blushed brightly and took the handkerchief from him, wiping delicately at her face. She looked around the building and saw Speedy and Mas were arguing over something, and Menos was attempting to talk to one of the police officers, but was failing miserably. She sighed again and resisted the urge to hit herself with something heavy. "Sorry… this is all a little surreal to me."

"I'll say." Aqualad cocked his head to the side and watched her. "I never thought in a million years you'd agree to Bee. I thought you would want to be a million miles away from Speedy after the last stunt he pulled. He said his ears are still ringing from the hits you landed."

Raven chuckled. "Good. He deserved it."

Aqualad laughed, but it felt a little unusual, as if there was some, other secret. "He did." Aqualad turned and looked at the three boys who were now all yelling at each other. He shook his head and sighed. "Clearly they haven't grown up any in my absence."

Raven snorted and shook her head. "How does Bee do it?"

"Honestly? I think she's a reincarnated saint." Aqualad offered her a small smile. "Let's go get dinner, I think you guys have earned it."

"Hey, you did your share of the work too." Raven smiled and nudged his shoulder.

"I was just the cavalry." He looked down at her with a clouded look before walking towards the boys. Raven sighed and watched his form retreat. Stupid Bee. Of _course_ she was teasing her. The way Aqualad had looked at her was like she was the most annoying thing on earth, and she had the _gall_ to touch him. What an idiot. Karen was going to get a piece of her mind when Raven saw her again.

)O(

Aqualad breathed a sigh of relief when he managed to put space between him and Raven. That introduction had been hard. Impossibly hard. The ease of conversation, the way she teased him, the way she touched him, the way her hair looked all mussed from the battle, the color on her face, the smudge of dirt on her cheek, the way she _smelled_… it was like torture. He stomach clenched hotly, and he took a few, longer strides to put even more space between them.

It took all of his power not to back her into a dark corner and kiss her senseless. Kiss her until their bodies became one and there was no separating them. He had been late to the battle because he didn't want to see her. He _knew _what would happen he saw her, all bundled in blue, and yet all the time in the world couldn't have prepared him. Why, oh _why_, did he tell Bee his secret? _Why_? She was doing this just to mess with him. To tease him, he _knew it_. That was it, after that night of dangerous confessions Aqualad could no longer be friends with red wine. Period.

"Hey!" He turned and saw Raven chasing after him, her face red. His stomach turned again and he averted his eyes from her, waiting until she moved on. She didn't, of course. He felt her eyes on him, that confused stare she gave when she couldn't quite pin-point his emotions. "I'm sorry if I upset you. I just… I don't know. Something seems off. Is everything okay?"

"Yes. I'm sorry, Raven." Aqualand looked down at her and offered what he was sure was a broken smile. He needed self control or something inerasable would happen. "It's not your fault. I think I'm just a little tired from my trip today, I'm sure you are too. Let's go get some dinner and everything will be fine." Yeah right. Like that would happen, _ever_.

"Um. Okay. I'll go round up the boys then." Raven took a few steps away from him and sneezed. There was a cloud of dust that puffed from her cloak and she groaned. In one, swift movement she unsnapped the cloak from her body, and tried to shake the dust from the heavy fabric. Aqualad groaned as he stared at her. Her uniform had ridden up just enough to expose the underside of her very attractive, rounded bottom. That was an image he would both cherish and regret for the rest of his life. His stomach clenched again and he looked away.

It was going to be a very _long_ two weeks.

)O(

_Yes, you __have__ read this before. Sort of. I took the original story and I am trying to flesh it out and give it more character. It won't be super long, three, maybe four chapters, but that's it. I'm still debating on a lemon, but there will definitely be some citrus. Please, leave a review! Thanks!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Deepest Shade of Blue  
**Chapter Two

)O(

Raven waved her hand in front of Speedy's face, looking for some kind of reaction. He just continued to sleep, drooling slightly on the sofa cushions. He did grunt a little as she poked his side, but there was no other reaction. Mas y Menos were dog-piled in a nearby corner, snoring loudly. Raven shook her head and rolled her eyes, what _exactly _did she volunteer for? Glorified babysitting?

"I think they're in a food coma."

There was a chuckle behind her, and Raven jumped a little, red coloring her cheeks. She looked over her shoulder at Aqualad, whose eyes didn't quite meet hers. "Well, they probably won't be waking anytime soon." He offered her a small smile. "Unfortunately, it happens a lot."

"Mm." Raven turned and faced him, watching his calm, unhurried movements. He'd been so quiet that she had forgotten he was there. There was a slight sloshing sound as he dumped some glasses into the dishwater in the sink. He gave her another strained smile and returned to the dishes he was washing.

There was something soothing in the soft silence that surrounded them, and that thought made Raven uncomfortable. She shouldn't be calmed by his presence; he wasn't her teammate or her friend. Hell, he was barely even her comrade. She knew next to nothing about him, and that had suited her just fine for the longest time. But now she was standing in _his_ home, in _his_ city, surrounded by _his_ teammates and friends, and it seemed almost pathetic that she didn't know how to connect with him.

"Will they wake up if the alarm sounds?" Raven moved to stand next to him, picking up a dishtowel to help with the dishes. Aqualad looked down at her before shifting a few inches away, putting space between them. Raven bit her lip, and decided not to point it out. He was not her friend, and she needed to remember that.

"Sometimes." He chuckled again. "Other times we have to bribe them."

"Well, that sounds like Speedy to a T." Raven snorted and moved to put a glass away, her elbow brushed Aqualad's. Electricity sparked between them, but she pretended not to notice. What good would that do? "But I didn't think the boys would need coaxing."

Aqualad shrugged. "They're just kids. You can't expect them to act like soldiers all the time."

"That's true…" Raven put another glass away, her mind starting to wander. "So, I can assume that you bribe Speedy with a night of guilt-free club-hopping, partying, and raucous nights with ladies, but what do you offer to wake the boys up?"

"Videogames, usually. They're pretty easy to please."

"And you? What does Bee have to promise you?" Raven regretted the words as soon as they were out of her mouth. Aqualad's face burned bright red and he took a step away from her, putting even more space between them. Raven sighed and returned to the dish she was drying. "Sorry, that was rude of me to ask."

"It's… it's alright." Aqualad offered her a small, sad smile. "It's just kind of private and a little embarrassing… Bee only found out because we drank together one night. Which is probably while I'll stay away from red wine for a while."

Raven felt color leave her whole body as she thought about what Karen had told her: _in drunken ramblings there is a sober truth_. Had they really talked about her? And had Aqualad really called her sensual? And if that was the case… Raven cursed under her breath and shook her head. This was ridiculous. There was no way in any of the infinite dimensions that Aqualad had any kind of feelings toward her. He was _Aqualad_, an Atlantean prince, heir to the seven seas, and fawned over by millions of women. Karen just liked to stir the pot. It was her life's mission to make Raven's life harder than it should be.

"I noticed your bags were still in the living room, did the boys not show you where the guest room was?"

Raven started from her thoughts and turned toward him. "No. We didn't have time, the alarm went off the minute I walked in." She put another glass away, frowning. "Bee promised me it would be calm during the summer, but I'm guessing that was a cheap ploy to get me to agree to come over."

Aqualad chuckled. "I would bet money on that. It can be just as hectic in the summer as it is in the winter." His smile softened and Raven felt her heart drop at the sight. "It'll be fine though. And at least you're doing a good deed by letting her have some time with Cy… and it's nice having you here. I really…" He trailed off for a moment, before turning away. "It's nice."

"Oh." Raven heard a glass break in the cupboard and cringed. Of _course _that would happen. "You're… welcome?"

Aqualad nodded and glanced over at her before returning to whatever he was doing in the other cupboard. "Can I ask you something?"

Raven swallowed hard. Ask her _what_? Exactly what could Aqualad _possibly _want to know about her? "I guess… what do you want to know?"

"Are you happy coming here?"

"I guess." Raven sighed and pressed a hand to her forehead. "I mean… it's hard to say. I know Bee wanted to see Cy, and I know that I'm doing them a favor, but… it's not home. And as frustrating and annoying as Beast Boy and Robin can be, they're still my friends and teammates." She chuckled. "I guess I kind of got used to the craziness at the tower."

"Mm…" Aqualad turned to face her. He leaned against the counter behind him and had his arms crossed over his chest. Raven found herself staring at the subtle ripple of his muscles as they moved and stretched under his uniform. She had almost forgotten how powerful he really was, it was easy to forget that the sea could be both beautiful and terrifying. And ripped. Her mind started to wander into inappropriate places and she stared up at him, suddenly realizing he was talking to her. "… I mean… aren't we your friends?"

"I… yes. I mean… I don't know." Raven sighed and leaned against the counter opposite from him. "To be perfectly honest, Garth… the Titans East and I have never really had a chance to form any kind of real companionship. Whenever we get together, there's always mass destruction about to befall the earth. And even though I know we're all on the same side and we have the foundation to be friends, we've never developed that." She shook her head and looked into his guarded stare. "Even now, I feel welcomed like a guest should… but that's all I am, a guest."

"Hm…" Aqualad nodded. "I'm sorry you feel that way. I always thought we were friends, although you are right. We've never really had 'alone time' together to get to know one another." He offered her a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "We've got time now."

Raven laughed and motioned at their comatose friends. "And we sure are alone."

"That's right. We _are _alone." Aqualad pushed himself to his feet and crowded close to her. Raven stared up at him, nearly choking. His eyes were _so blue_. So, deep and impossibly blue that they looked black. And, his entire being seemed to radiate energy as he pressed his arms on either side of her, caging her in. Millions of emotions swarmed the back of her head, buzzing and spinning inside her. Raven closed her eyes and tilted her face up towards him, as if waiting.

A cupboard door closed and the tension was snapped like a thread pulled too tight.

When Raven opened her eyes, Aqualad was standing in front of her, still dangerously close, but not enough to affect her. His eyes searched hers for a moment, and he took another step away from her. Raven glanced down at his hands, which were holing the glass that had broken earlier. "Are you… alright?"

"Yeah… I guess… I guess I'm just kind of tired." Raven pulled the hood of her cloak up around her face, trying to hide her blush and her shame. What had she been doing? Waiting for a kiss like some lovesick fool? It was _Aqualad. _He was off limits, and hadn't she just told him that he wasn't her friend? What an idiot. She felt Aqualad's stare as she made her way toward her bags, piled in the corner. "I think I'm going to go to bed."

"I probably will as well." Aqualad moved past her and picked up her luggage. He nodded politely at her as he started for the door. "I'll show you to the guest room."

"Thanks." Ignoring the awkward, sheepish feeling still in her chest, Raven followed him down the hall. She spent most of the short walk staring at the floor and trying to listen when he talked. It was hard when her mind kept wandering. Why had she let him get close to her like that? They had just finished their conversation on how they _weren't_ friends, and yet he blatantly invaded her space. And worst of all, she allowed him to be that close. Raved pressed a hand to her forehead and sighed.

"Is everything okay?"

Raven looked up at Aqualad's concerned face and offered half a smile. "Fine. Just tired."

"Well… here is your room." He opened the door and led her into their guest room. It was spacious but filled with boring, nondescript, modern furniture. The whole thing looked as if it had been ripped from a Swedish furniture catalog. But in the middle of the room, covered with thick, downy covers was the most luxurious king sized bed that Raven had ever seen. She somehow managed to resist the urge to throw herself into the covers and purr like a cat.

"It's nice."

Aqualad smiled at her as he placed her bags on the bed. "I'm glad you like it." He turned and looked at Raven with a concerned stare. His eyebrows knitted together and his lips pursed, as if considering a very important decision. Raven pretended not to notice, and instead looked out the window, watching barges float up and down the river. Why did he have to keep staring at her like that?

"Raven?"

She turned at the sound of her name, and his eyes bore into her like waves crashing against the shore. Raven forced herself to look away, lest she drown in bottomless pools of blue. "What is it?"

"I… I don't want you to think we _can't _be friends."

Raven felt her heart seize, and she stared at him again. What was he doing?

Aqualad shifted his weight and sighed, staring at the ceiling and trying to avoid eye contact. "Just because whenever we meet the world is going to end isn't a reason to avoid a friendship between us." He glanced at her and blushed. "You said it yourself, there's the foundation to build a friendship between us… we just haven't utilized it yet. I'd like it… if we became friends."

"I…" Raven felt color flood her face and she looked away from him, trying to slow the flow of emotions in her body. What was this strange, sinking feeling in her stomach? Like someone had punched her in the abdomen and sucked all the breath out of her just for spite. She hated feeling helpless and confused, just like this. "I… I'd like it if we became friends too."

"Good…" Aqualad smiled a little bit brighter, and there was something satisfying in seeing him like that. "I'm glad. I don't want us to be so distant anymore." He glanced at the clock, and started for the door, frowning. "I'm sorry it's so late. I shouldn't have kept you up. Please, let me know if there's anything else I can do for you, Raven, and if you need me… I'm just two doors down the hall."

"Okay."

His hand rested on the door handle for a moment before he turned and looked at her. He offered her a slightly awkward smile. "I am glad you're here though. Even if we don't turn out to be friends." He pushed open the door and walked into the dark hallway. "Good night."

"Mm… good night, Garth." The door slid shut and Raven fell into the covers on the bed, barely holding back a curse. What exactly had _that _been? As if their non-friendship/non-camaraderie wasn't awkward enough, now he had to go parading around telling her that he _wanted _to be friends with her. That he was _glad_ she was here in the tower? And Raven had to pretend that everything was okay? That there wasn't this undercurrent of awkwardness between them? And furthermore, what in the world was that _display_ back in the kitchen?

Raven grabbed a pillow and held it over her face to muffle her scream of frustration. He was _off-limits_ on _so _many levels that she couldn't count them all. And yet _he_ hadn't even batted an eyelash of propriety when he pressed so close to her in that small kitchen. In fact, he didn't even acknowledge their proximity, he just ignored it as if it never happened. Meanwhile Raven thought she was going to break all the dishes in the cupboards.

Boys were stupid, and Aqualad was no exception.

Feeling both emotionally and physically drained, Raven began to undress. She just needed sleep, and then everything would be better in the morning. Well… perhaps not _better_, but things would be easier to handle at least. And maybe Aqualad wouldn't be so damned infuriating, although she highly doubted it.

As she stripped off her dirty, sweat soaked uniform, something white fluttered to the floor. Raven stopped fighting with her zipper and stared at the stark paleness, smudged with dirt. It was Aqualad's handkerchief. She had forgotten to return it to him this afternoon. Raven cursed again and yanked her uniform back on with so much vigor that she nearly ripped the seams out of the neoprene.

"I can't believe this! Can't I just get _one break_?" Raven snatched up the handkerchief and stomped to her door, throwing it open. She wasn't mad at herself for forgetting to return the item, she wasn't mad at Aqualad for being so _peculiar_ and vague, she wasn't mad at Karen for tricking her into coming to Steel City for the summer… no, she was mad at _all _those things combined. And that silly piece of white, starched cotton was the catalyst for it all.

She stormed down the hallway and counted two doors, the third was Aqualad's. Raven raised her fist and pounded. "Garth. I've got your silly handkerchief." There was no response and Raven slammed the door again. "Garth! Will you please just take it back!" Nothing.

Raven cursed and yanked on the handle, pushing into his room. It was empty, and Raven fought off another curse. "Well, this is _just great_. Here, take your stupid handkerchief back. Jeez." She threw the handkerchief on to his impeccably clean bed and started for the door. Good night and good riddance. But, her eyes saw a picture next to his bed, and she paused.

It was a picture of the Titans West and the Titans East from when Cyborg had thrown a beach party to get everyone together. But, Raven knew it was just a ploy to spend time with Karen. It must have been taken over a year ago. Raven picked up the picture and stared at it, smiling at the memories. That had been one of the very few times the two teams had gotten together when world _wasn't _going to end. Her fingers turned over the frame and something fell out on to the floor. It was another picture, hidden behind the team photo.

Raven picked it up and stared. It was a picture of her from that same day, sitting under an umbrella in her black bikini. The one she had sworn she threw out, but Karen managed to find in her clothes. The picture was worn and creased, as if it had been handled often, folded and unfolded, and stared at. Her stomach started to tie-up in knots. Why did he have _this_?

"Raven?"

Aqualad's soft, confused voice startled her and she dropped both the photos to the floor. She cringed as the glass broke out of the frame. Mumbling a curse she bent down to pick up the shards of glass. "I'm sorry. I just came by to drop off your handkerchief and I saw the photo."

"I… didn't realize you still had my handkerchief." He offered her a smile as he joined her on the floor, helping her clean up the mess. "You could have kept it, you know. It's not like I can't replace it…" He paused and deposited some shards in the trash bin next to his bed. "I'm sorry I startled you."

"No… It's my fault. I shouldn't have just barged into your room. That was rude." Raven yelped as a glass shard sliced across her finger. Cursing, she cradled it against her chest.

"Here, put some pressure on it to stop the bleeding." Aqualad picked up the handkerchief from the bed and wrapped it around her finger. His hands wrapped around hers for a moment and he looked into her eyes, as if searching for something. Raven swallowed a lump as his hands rubbed her gently. What was he _doing_? He flashed her a weak smile and stood up. "Let me go get a bandage, I'll be back in a second."

Raven stared at her hand, wrapped in the white cloth, and sighed. What was happening to her? And why in the world did she agree to this silly thing? Karen was going to get an earful the next time Raven saw her. This was all her fault anyway. If she had just left her nose out of Raven's personal business, then maybe this would have never happened.

Raven grumbled under her breath, staring at the floor. The picture of her had fallen underneath the bed, and for a moment she debated as to whether or not she wanted to pick it up. Should she take it? It technically wasn't stealing if she was taking a picture of her, right? Why did Aqualad have a picture of her anyway? It didn't make sense! They had _just _had that conversation! They weren't friends… so then _why_ did he have that picture? Raven closed her eyes and sighed, this was draining her more than anything would have back at her own tower.

"Here." Aqualad returned and knelt next to her on the floor. In his hands were a few bandages and some antiseptic. "Let me see it."

Raven offered her hand to him and he unwrapped her finger, dabbing the small wound with antiseptic. There was silence between them, and it started to feel uncomfortable. Raven opened her mouth to ask about the picture, but there was a strange nagging feeling in her chest that told her to ignore it. Maybe it would disappear if she pretended it didn't happen.

"There. Better?" Aqualad wrapped the bandage around her finger and smiled at her.

"Yes. Thank you." Raven stood up and threw away the rest of the glass shards. "I really am sorry about the frame. I'll replace it."

Aqualad shrugged. "It's not a big deal. The picture is still fine, and that's all that matters."

"Mm… I guess you're right." Raven offered him a small smile and started for the door. Exhaustion started to sink into her bones again. She just needed to sleep and then she would handle this all in the morning. "Thank you again. I'm going to bed, for real this time."

"Okay. Sleep well."

"Thanks… you too." Raven closed the door behind her and trudged down the hall. Tomorrow would be better. At least, that was what she kept telling herself.

)O(

Aqualad fought back a curse. Bee was due for a long, angry lecture when she got back to Steel. Raven just _had _to go wandering around looking for him, and now his room smelled faintly of lavender. He would be tortured by the scent until it finally dissipated, and Poseidon only knew how long that would be.

Grumbling, he reached under the bed and pulled out the picture he had of Raven. He briefly wondered if she had seen it, but guessed that she hadn't. If he knew anything about Raven, his head would have been dislodged from his shoulders the moment she set eyes on the picture. He sighed and fell back on the bed, breathing in the soft scent of lavender and staring at the photo.

He'd paid a full month of dish duties and a full bottle of vodka to get this from Speedy, and it was more than worth it. He may have been a prince, he may have been a Titan, but Aqualad was first and foremost a guy. And having a picture of Raven dressed in nothing more than a few scraps of black cloth was part of his guy code. Besides, it helped him endure more than a few sleepless nights… of course, it had also been the _cause_ of a few sleepless nights.

Aqualad folded up the picture and tucked it into his pillow case, trying to forget about the familiar image. He didn't really need it, now that he had the real thing in front of him. If only he could figure out how to not be so _damn_ awkward around her, and not try to jump her every time they got close… like in the kitchen. When she had to blatantly point out how _alone _they were.

Cursing, Aqualad stood up and walked to his bathroom. He needed a _long_ shower. That girl was going to be the death of him.

)O(

_So, there is chapter two. Please let me know how you feel! I love feedback, it makes the next chapters that much better. Thanks!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Deepest Shade of Blue  
**Chapter Three

)O(

Raven woke the next morning to hurried Spanish and three pairs of feet running down the hall next to her door. She groaned and threw a pillow over her face. For a few short hours, she had been blissfully unaware that she was a thousand miles away from her _own _home, from her _own _bed, and from her _own_ friends. It wasn't until Mas y Menos decided to put green food coloring in Speedy's shampoo that she remembered _exactly _where she was and who she was with.

"Good morning to you too…" Raven cursed under her breath and crawled out of her bed. She stumbled to her bathroom and turned on the shower, double checking all her toiletries for any signs of tampering or food coloring. She seemed to be okay, hopefully Bee had forewarned them about her… _temper_. Sighing she stood under the warm water and tried not to berate herself for agreeing to this stupid switch. Bee was _so_ going to get a piece of her mind for all the hell she had put Raven through.

First of all, Speedy had already made two awkward and failed passes at her, one of them involving something with an angel and a porcupine, Raven tried not to dwell on that for too long. Mas y Menos chattered around her and told jokes all in _Spanish_, some of which she understood, others she _knew _she didn't want to even fathom understanding. And Aqualad was… well, he was being _Aqualad._ Quiet, reserved, and impossible to read. And now he wanted to be _friends _with her. You know, because their relationship wasn't odd enough. Oh, and apparently he carried around a picture of her in a bikini, and she had _no _idea what that meant. And, quite frankly, she wasn't even sure if she _wanted _to know what that meant.

Raven stepped out of the shower and quickly dressed in her civilian clothes, hoping that maybe the alarm wouldn't go off today. Maybe there would be some semblance of peace in the tower… ha. That was a fool's wish, and she knew that. She walked down the hall, looking around for either Speedy or the twins, Goddess only knew what they would do to her this early in the morning.

"Good morning."

The soft, deep tone made her look up into Aqualad's soft expression, and Raven felt color spread across her face before she could stop it. Why did he make her feel like a silly school girl? She was a _demon _for Goddess' sake, and yet she blushed like a thirteen year-old on her first date! She forced a small, nondescript smile and made her way to the kitchen where he stood. "Good morning."

"I trust you slept well?" Aqualad moved into one of the cupboards and pulled out herbal tea and a delicate china teacup. Raven forced down another blush at his thoughtfulness. What was with her today?

"Well enough." Raven sat down at the table and watched him move around the kitchen. "I think I heard Mas y Menos sleep-running down the hallway last night."

Aqualad laughed. "Yes. They do that sometimes. Especially if they've had a long day."

"I can't imagine that's pleasant."

"You get used to it after a while." Aqualad set the kettle on the burner, and the two were enveloped in silence again. In spite of the strange discoveries yesterday, like Aqualad secretly keeping a picture of Raven in her bikini, things felt significantly less awkward this morning than they did last night. Maybe it was just going to take some time before things settled between her and the Titans East. Raven could hope at least.

"Hey, Rae!"

Raven cringed at the nickname and glared at Speedy as he sauntered into the kitchen, green hair and all. She crossed her arms over her chest and smirked at him. "Trying out a new shade, I see?"

His cocky smile fell and he mumbled something rude under his breath. Raven pretended not to notice, and he puffed out his chest again, trying to look important. "Well, I was going to ask you what you wanted to do today."

Raven blinked and raised an eyebrow. "What I _want _to do?"

"Yeah. I mean, you've never spent a whole lot of time in Steel before. I thought maybe you might want to have a personal, exclusive tour." He pressed close to her and smiled that smile that melted hearts everywhere… except Raven's. It annoyed her mostly. "I can give you _whatever _kind of tour you might want or need."

"That makes no sense." Aqualad leaned back on his heels and glared at his friend. "And stop pestering her, Speedy. You're getting on everyone's nerves, including mine." Raven glanced over at him and mouthed "thank you."

"I am not! Am I, Rae?" Speedy pressed even closer to her and Raven rolled her eyes. She pushed him off her, and muttered a curse.

"My name is _Raven_, Speedy. And yes, you are pestering me. Now, get off or I will send you to another dimension and let you try to find a way out." She let her eyes glow red for a moment, and Speedy magically disappeared down the hallway. Raven sighed and rolled her eyes. "I swear I'm going to kill him one day. Bee is going to come home and this team will be short one member."

"Tact isn't exactly his middle name." Aqualad smiled at her before turning his gaze to the tea kettle, avoiding eye-contact with Raven. "As much as it hurts to admit, he's kind of right … you've never been to Steel before. At least not for a long trip here. Is there something you'd like to do? Do you _want _to be shown around?"

Raven's face burst into varying shade of red as she stared at him. What exactly was he implying? That she needed some kind of special treatment? And _he _was the one to give it to her? Oh, _that _would work out so well, her and Aqualad _alone_ together. All she would be thinking about is that _stupid _picture and why he had it. "No… I mean, I appreciate the offer, but I think I can handle showing myself around Steel. I tie my own shoes and everything."

Aqualad had the decency to look a little sheepish. "That's not what I meant. I mean… it might be nice to go out and be shown around. Maybe even leave the boys alone for a while."

As if on cue, there was an explosion down the hall followed by profanity in both English and Spanish. Raven could hear the whoosh of air as the twins sped around the tower and the stretch of Speedy's bow as he nocked an arrow into place. Her face paled and she turned to look at Aqualad, who looked just as distraught as she was. Raven stood up and started inching for the door, hoping the others didn't see them leaving. "On second thought… maybe it's a good thing to get out of the tower and… _escape_."

Aqualad was close behind her, his face still pale. "I just hope there's a tower to _return _to."

"Me too…" Raven reached out and grabbed his wrist, phasing them through the floors of the tower to the outside world. As soon as their feet hit the ground, there was another explosion, followed by more shouts. And, if Raven wasn't mistaken, there was a small cloud of smoke coming from the third floor. She hated to think of the havoc those three caused on a regular basis.

"Bee is going to have my head." Aqualad ran a hand over his face and started at the tower, muttering profanities. "I really hope they keep the damage to a minimum this time… If we have to bother Cyborg again to come fix their mess, Bee will use me for target practice. I promised her that everything would be all right, and she wouldn't have to worry. Ugh. I swear we're always picking up after them. It's glorified babysitting."

Raven offered an apologetic look. "Trust me, I understand. Have you ever spent more than ten minutes with Beast Boy?"

Aqualad tried to smile, but it looked wane and tired. "I'm sorry, I need a moment to calm down, or I will murder Speedy before you do." Aqualad sighed and started for the tree line at the top of the cliff. His lips were pressed into a thin line and his expression was unreadable. A subtle press of power radiated from him, and there was something that made Raven remember that sometimes he could be just as frightening as she was.

"Why don't we go for a walk then?" Raven followed him into the trees behind the tower. He paused for a moment and looked down at her, his eyes dark. He was looking at her as if she suggested they go rob a few banks, and it was the same expression he gave when she nudged him yesterday after catching that burgler. Raven bit back an exasperated sigh and motioned to the woods. "Look, it's quiet, we can cool down, and maybe if we're lucky, the boys will demolish themselves and we won't have to get our hands dirty. It's a win-win situation."

Aqualad's lips twitched as if he was trying to keep from smiling. "That would make our lives easier."

"Too bad they probably won't kill each other. Eventually we are going to have to yell at them for being complete idiots." Raven fell into step beside him.

"It does no good to point that out to them." Aqualad chuckled. "I've tried."

"I'm sure Bee has too." Raven smiled up at him, and they walked through the woods to the edge of the river, following the curves and bends. She had forgotten how much she enjoyed the scenery around the Titans East's tower. The few times she had visited, she'd been blown away by how close they were to the city, yet how much wilderness there was growing around them. It could be so serene, provided your teammates weren't trying to blow your home up.

Raven glanced over at Aqualad, watching as the tension in his shoulders seemed to disappear. This walk was akin to meditation for him, and maybe this was exactly what he needed to keep his own temper under control. He followed the shoreline and the ripples in the water seemed to reach out as he passed, as if he was drawing the river its self closer to him.

Raven motioned to the disturbances in the water. "Does that always happen?"

He shrugged, unconcerned. "Sometimes. Mostly when I'm… distraught."

"Hm… you know, I always wondered about your powers." Silence was her response, and Raven felt color rise to her face as she realized exactly what she was insinuating. "Not that I think…"

Aqualad laughed, quieting Raven's mumbling. "You mean I have rather inadequate powers considering the forces we fight?"

"No! I…"

"I hear it all the time, so don't worry about offending me. You'd be surprised what the tabloids say. " He waved his hand and drew an orb of water from the river towards himself. "I'm not entirely useless, you know. It's not like we live in a desert, devoid of water. It exists in everything. You. Me. Plants. Animals…" He spun the globe of water on his fingers, much like she had seen Cyborg do with a basketball. "I control water, Raven. I have the ability to change its physical properties, remove it from bodies, and morph it into something else." He tossed the globe into the air and it misted down into a thick fog around them.

"Wow… that's kinda… _cool_." Raven felt color fill her face as soon as the words left her mouth. Did it have to be so _painfully obvious _that she admired him? She saw the faint outline of Aqualad as he inched closer to her, trying to find her in the gray mist. "I didn't know you could do that."

"To be perfectly honest, it's not all that useful on the battlefield. Speedy can't see his targets, Mas y Menos trip over _everything_, and Bee once shot me during practice, it was the last time I used that particular power again." He looked over and smiled at her. "What about you? I mean, I know you're so dark and mysterious and half-demon, but what makes your powers so… _intense_?"

Raven felt her blush grow darker and she looked away, hiding in the fog. Did he really have to ask her about that? "I'm not all that exciting, I use the energy my soul creates as an object. I can slide through walls, pick up objects… but most importantly I feel other people's emotions. It gives me a tactical advantage as to what attacks the team should use."

"Right… you would use a different attack for an angry opponent than you would for a distraught one." He nudged her shoulder, as if trying to cheer her up. "I think your powers are something spectacular. I mean, you can literally _feel _the battlefield, it's amazing. You know exactly what you are getting into and how to address the situation… I can talk to _fish_, do you know how completely useless that is? I mean… I love my oceanic friends, but how often do they appear on the field? Almost never." He face suddenly burst into a deep shade of red and he looked away. "Sorry, I'm rambling. I just meant to say that you're lucky, and I got carried away."

"Lucky? I guess… but, my powers are also a curse." Raven's eyes swept up to meet his, and she gave a wan smile. "I live every day of my life feeling everyone else's life too. I know what they do, how they feel, and everything in between. I am cursed to live everyone's life with them, whether I want to or not."

"I didn't mean to offend you." Aqualad looked sympathetic, and he reached out to touch her. "I can't imagine what that's like."

The world seemed to lurch beneath her feet as Raven stared at his pale skin, fingers circling her wrist like a bracelet. He was _touching _her, trying to offer her some kind of solace in their unusual confessions. Her stomach turned over and she found herself pulling closer to him, as if gravitating toward him. "Sorry… I didn't mean for the conversation to take such a serious turn."

"That's okay…" Aqualad smiled down at her, sliding his fingers into her own, linking them together. His touch was cool and moist, like the mist rolling off ocean waves at sunrise. They were _touching each other_. Somewhere, in a magical place called "sanity," Raven knew he was talking, and she desperately tried to hear him over the pounding of her heart. "You can always talk to me if you want to, Raven. I'd still… I'd still like to be your friend you know."

Raven tried not to choke on her words as she nodded. "I'd like that too."

"Good." He leaned in close to her, eyes fixated on her lips, and Raven suddenly had _no _idea exactly _what _was going on. Was he trying to kiss her? Gasping for breath in the storm of emotions, Raven felt her powers lash out toward the water, looking for some kind of outlet. Before she understood what was happening, there was a small tidal wave rushing at them. Raven swore, but she couldn't get out of the way fast enough, and she was struck with the wall of water.

Sopping wet, she cursed under her breath and stared up at her bone-dry companion. Controlling water meant he got to stay perfectly dry, while she had to look like a wet ragdoll. "Sorry. You… caught me off guard."

"It's cute." He offered her a sheepish smile and pushed some wet hair out of her eyes, fingers lingering on her cheek. "I didn't mean to frighten you, but you had a small beetle on your neck. I was just trying to get it off."

Raven nearly choked on his words. Did he _really _just call her _cute_? What the hell was going on? "Oh… I'm sorry… I…" There was another splash, and Raven was doused again, this time from the woods behind her. Her face fell and she stared up at her temporary teammate, red lining her eyes. He just smiled down at her, as if nothing had happened. She growled. Forget the cute comment, this whole situation was ridiculous! After all the "let's be friends!" torture he put her through, now he wanted to start a fight? "Are you _seriously _starting a water fight with me?"

"Perhaps…" His lips twitched in the beginnings of a smile, and he nodded, moving into the river. It sloshed and flowed around his knees. "Consider it target practice."

"Because that's what you _are_?" Raven pushed her powers into the water, stirring up another tidal wave. Aqualad let it hit him, and the water flowed over his skin without touching a single spot. Raven hissed at him, trying to ignore how her whole body seemed to tingle at this game. Why did this silly horsing around feel good? After all, they weren't friends, at least not yet. "That's cheating!"

Aqualad laughed. "You're in a water fight against _Aqualad_, Raven… exactly what part of that is fair?"

"You started it!" Raven tried to hit him again from both sides, but every spot, down to the tip of his hair, stayed perfectly dry. She growled. This was infuriating, and _so _not fair. He must have been able to feel the press of her powers and water surging around him before it hit. If that was the case, then she needed to throw off his guard and do something he didn't expect. Maybe…

"_I_ started it? Your powers spun out of control first, it's not my fault." He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back on his heels, smiling at her. "Come on, Raven. You won't be able to get me, just admit defeat."

"I'd rather not." She had one trick left. Smirking, she ran into the river and lunged at him. Aqualad's face was filled with something resembling jovial shock as her arms connected with his middle and they both went tumbling into the river. Water gushed around them and Raven landed on top of him, pushing him under the waves. He grabbed her arms and yanked her under with him, laughing. They lay there in the shallow end, wresting with each other's powers until Raven had to break the surface for air. "Ha. Got you."

Aqualad pushed his wet hair out of his eyes and smiled at her. "_That's _cheating."

"Not really." Raven shrugged. "You didn't offer any rules."

"Touché." Aqualad stood up and offered her his hand. "Come on, let's get back to the tower and see if it's still there and in one piece."

Raven let him pull her to her feet, and offered a sympathetic smile. "I highly doubt it. But, it's worth a try."

"Yeah, don't remind me. With my luck I'm sure half the tower is in pieces right now." Aqualad started off into the woods again, moving in the direction they had come from. Raven followed beside him, wringing her hair out. He glanced over at her and stopped walking. "You're soaking wet, Raven."

"Yeah, I know." She sighed and pushed more hair out of her face, staring up at him. "I'll be fine. It's not that far of a walk back to the tower, and it's warm out. I'll be dry in a little bit."

"Or you can take help from friends." There was that word again. Raven watched as Aqualad stepped up to her, closing any comfortable space between them. He held out his hands, palm up, as if offering her an invisible gift. "May I?"

"Knock yourself out." Raven had _no_ idea what she just allowed him to do. Without any other invitation, Aqualad pressed his hands to her arms and slid his fingertips over her body. The water dissipated, leaving wherever he touched warm and dry, as if she had rubbed herself down with a towel.

Aqualad moved behind her and trailed his hands slowly over her shoulders, down her back, over her hips… Raven flushed and felt her heart jump into her throat. He had stepped even closer to her, moving to stroke her stomach. His warm breath touched her ear as he whispered. "I'm sorry for this… I just want to make sure you're dry. I'd hate to have you catch a cold."

Before she had a chance to question him, his palms moved from her stomach and drifted over her breasts. Color flooded her face as her body reacted to his touch, and he could undoubtedly feel it through her utilitarian, cotton bra. Was it just her imagination, or was he _lingering _on her breasts? He ran his hands back over hips and moved to cup her behind. Raven tried to protest, but she choked on her own words. _Friends _were okay with invading each other's personal space, right? He moved down each of her legs, tracing their shape, before rising to his feet again, looking her in the eyes.

"Better?" He smiled innocently, as if none of that bizarre insanity had happened. As if he hadn't ventured into that dangerous gray area between friends and something more. Well, if he was going to fake indifference, Raven would have to as well.

She nodded, forcing a smile to her lips. "Yeah. I'm much better."

"Good." He grabbed her hand and started back in the direction of the tower. "Now, let's go see if we have a home to return to."

Raven stared at her fingers, intertwined with his, and mumbled some kind of response. What in the nine levels of hell just _happened_?

)O(

"Here." Aqualad placed a half-gallon of top-shelf vodka in front of Speedy, who stared at it as if it were a poisonous snake.

"What _is _that?" He said, poking it.

"A gift." Aqualad watched as his teammate looked from the bottle, to him, to the hastily patched hole in the ceiling above them, and then back to the bottle. Aqualad sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Not _everything _around the tower was a complete disaster, Speedy should learn to trust him sometimes. "It's _safe_, I promise."

"The lab was completely destroyed and you're giving me _vodka_… why do I feel as if this is a trick?"

"In spite of your crude pick-up lines, and your total destruction of the lab, which _you_ are going to tell Bee about, the chaos forced Raven and I to vacate the premises together." He returned his friend's smirk with one of his own. "We had a nice afternoon together and I thought I would reward you. Although, can you _not _blow up the tower next time? Cyborg is going to have both of our heads."

"Yeah, I know. You're my glorified babysitter for these next few weeks. Pft. Whatever." Speedy smirked and opened the bottle, pulling two glasses from the cupboard and filling them with ice. "So, an afternoon with Raven, all by yourself? What'd you do?"

Aqualad picked up an eyebrow, sensing something sinister in the conversation. "We went for a walk."

"Uh-huh." Speedy poured the glasses full of vodka and handed one to his teammate. "Where at?"

"By the river."

Speedy smirked. "You got her wet didn't you?"

"I…" Aqualad was suddenly very interested in the ice in his drink. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Hmm… a whole _half-gallon of top-shelf_…" He swirled the ice around in his glass and laughed. "Top-shelf would have meant a kiss, but a whole half-gallon of it… hmm, I'm guessing you got to cop a feel too."

Aqualad frowned. How did he figure it out? "_That_ is none of your business."

"Oh, yeah… you got to cop a feel."

Aqualad cursed under his breath. _That _was the last time he ever did anything nice for Speedy. All he ever did was mock him. "Please, just shut up and drink your damn vodka, Speedy."

Speedy took a drink from his glass, still smiling. "I won't lie, dude. I'm a little jealous."

Aqualad felt his face turn red and he rolled his eyes. "Drink your stupid vodka."

"Lucky bastard."

)O(

_This moved at a strange pace for me, but I hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a review and let me know what I did right or wrong. I love to hear your thoughts._


	4. Chapter 4

**Deepest Shade of Blue  
**Chapter Four

)O(

"I can't do this." Raven stared at Karen's smirking face in the communicator screen and glared. She was looking entirely too pleased with herself for Raven's liking. Damnit, that girl was always up to something. Raven hissed out a breath as her eyes narrowed. "This isn't funny, and I'm _serious_, Bee. I _can't _do this… can you even comprehend what happened between us yesterday? I mean… he _copped a feel_. Aqualad. Atlantean prince with the morals of a saint copped a feel. On me. How am I supposed to respond to that? And now _this_?" Raven's face flushed red as she remembered their rather _awkward_ walk yesterday.

Karen sighed and looked up from fidgeting with her hands. She seemed more interested in filing her nails than Raven's predicament. "Yesterday he was being Aqualad, Raven. He was drying you off and being nice, so you didn't have to wander around in cold, wet clothes. He doesn't have an inappropriate bone in his body. _If_ he touched you yesterday it was meant to be innocent and platonic, believe me."

She was have a _very _hard time believing her when Karen seemed to grin like the Cheshire cat. Raven's eyes glowed red and she snarled. Friend or not, Karen was treading _very _dangerous waters with her. "I beg to differ, he knew _exactly_ what he was doing. And this morning? He asked to take me out!"

"He asked you out to show you around _town,_ Raven." Karen glanced up from her nails and sighed. "Think about it logically, you know nothing about Steel, and yet you're going to play Titan in it? You might as well understand and know the city you are supposed to protect. Duh."

"You're not helping the situation, Bee." Raven ran her hands through her hair and tried not to yank it out in frustration. What did she have to do to get through to her friend? "This sounds suspiciously like a date."

Karen's deadpanned stare almost put Raven's to shame. "_How_ did he ask you?"

"I…" Raven paused and remembered the chance meeting in the hall. There was no ceremony behind it, no shy or awkward looks. She had been heading out to the kitchen to brew some tea and he was headed back to his room. There were smiles, some polite conversation, a few jokes about Speedy, and then he just _asked._ Karen was unfortunately very close to being right. Raven sighed and leaned back into the chair she was in. "He asked if he could take me out tonight. That's it."

"Uh-huh." Karen raised an eyebrow. "And, did he use the word _date_?"

"No." Raven gritted her teeth and closed her eyes. Karen was just trying to trick her into believing that this _wasn't _a date. "He said that the museum wanted some Titans to come as a publicity stunt to drum up business."

"Raven… he wants to take you to dinner at a sandwich shop and then to the _museum_." Karen rolled her eyes. "How date-like and romantic does that sound to you? Because, it sounds like two friends to me."

"Stop blowing off my concern, Bee. You know it's more than just a 'get together.'" Raven's eyes narrowed at Karen, who seemed unconcerned that Raven was about to use her for target practice. "He's taking me to a haunted tour in the museum. At night. In the dark."

"Because you like weird things like that."

Raven bit back a curse. "Did _no one_ ever explain _Wicked Scary_ to you?"

"You could have said no, you know."

"_How_?" Raven groaned and ran a hand over her face, staring up at the ceiling. What had she gotten herself into? "I tell him no and then I have to avoid awkward moments for the next two weeks. And what if it's a pity date?"

"Look, Raven…" Karen sighed and put down her nail file, eyes narrowing in frustration. "You already told me that both you and him agreed on trying to be friends, right?" Raven nodded, desperately trying to stop imagining her friend being smeared across a windshield like a bug. "He's making the first step and the first effort to build that friendship, will you give him the benefit of the doubt?" She paused and returned to her nails. "And stop putting yourself down, sometimes you _really_ piss me off."

Raven's fingers twitched as she fought to keep herself from throwing the communicator at the wall. Karen really needed a good smacking sometimes. "You're _really_ annoying, you know that right?"

Karen smiled as if she'd won a battle. "And you're reading too much into this. He's just trying to be a friend and show you around town."

"And what if he's not? What if it really is a date?"

Karen laughed. "Consider yourself lucky. Seventy percent of the female population would give their left ovary to be in your position."

"That statistic is made up." Raven rolled her eyes.

"You're right… the percentage is much higher." There was a pause and Karen's head cocked to the side, as if she found something very curious. "So… what are you wearing tonight?"

"Well, if it's not a date I'm wearing my uniform. Duh."

There was a long, heavy pause and Raven pulled the communicator as far away from her body as she could. The storm was about to breach the calm surface. "_Rachel Roth!_ I am _not_ having you go out on a publicity mission with one of my best team members looking like you just rolled out of bed and threw on your uniform. If you are going to show your face to cameras and press in _my _town you are going to look like a Titan, or so help me god, I will fly back to Steel and dress you myself." She snapped her teeth and Raven paled. "Do I make myself _clear_?"

"Crystal." Raven snorted and rolled her eyes, standing up. Her friend had been lying to her. _Great_. "Although you've just confirmed that this is a date."

"You're impossible. For the millionth time: _it's not a date._" Karen pinched the bridge of her nose, as if she was warding off a headache. Her lips turned down in a frown and she pointed somewhere off screen. "Now, put that damn mini skirt on and march your happy ass into the common room so you two can go out to dinner. Jeez."

"If it's not a date, I am not wearing the _damn_ miniskirt! So, shut your mouth!" Raven snapped the communicator shut and threw it on her bed, glaring at the bright yellow color against the stark whiteness of her sheets. Goddess, did Karen piss her off sometimes. Even if her heart was in the right place, she didn't have to be such a _bitch_. Like _hell _she was wearing a miniskirt tonight. Raven went to her closet and threw open the door, shuffling through her clothes until she found a plain blue top and pair of skinny jeans. Simple. Nondescript. Perfect for a sandwich and a museum tour. With a _friend_.

She groaned and quickly dressed. It really didn't matter if it was _actually _a date or not, her mind had already decided it was. And worst of all, her mind had already decided it was a pity date. Because, let's face it, Raven was _completely _un-dateable, and Aqualad was _way_ out of her league. She threw on some make up and walked out the door, nearly bowling over Aqualad in the process.

"Hey. Sorry, I didn't mean to catch you off guard." He offered a smile and stepped back to give her space. Raven tried not to melt as the scent of his cologne hit her. He smelled like a Caribbean lagoon after a storm, warm and fresh and salty. "I thought I heard you and Bee talking, I was going to ask how she was doing."

"She's fine." Raven grumbled something rude under her breath, but Aqualad pretended not to notice.

"Oh… that's good." He started down the hall and Raven followed, staring straight ahead and trying to focus on their conversation. Goddess, when did he start smelling _so good_? "She doesn't anticipate on extending her stay, does she? I was hoping to ask her tonight."

"Wait." Raven stopped mid-step and turned to look at him. Color left her face as her eyes met his. Was he insinuating that Raven would have to _stay longer_? With the boys from Hell? "Extending her stay? What do you mean?"

"Oh… I thought she told you." Aqualad cocked his head to the side and watched Raven, his expression somewhere between concerned and confused. "Bee called me last night and we talked about her wanting to stay an extra week. I… I didn't think it would have been such a big deal, but I can clearly see I was wrong." He tried to give her a reassuring smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm sure that wasn't exactly in your plans, Raven… that's probably why she didn't tell you. And nothing is set in stone yet, it was just something she mentioned in passing. I wouldn't worry about it too much."

"Are you serious?" Raven's face fell and she turned and pressed her head against the wall, fighting back a scream. How could Karen do this to her? After everything Raven had done for her friend, she had to stick her with _this_? "An extra week of Speedy? _Really_? That's why she didn't tell me! Because she knew I'd tell her no!"

Aqualad's chuckle made her turn around and look at him. "He's been trying to be good, Raven. You have to give him _some_ credit." He smiled at her and grabbed her wrist, sliding his fingers easily between her own.

"Good? Are you _serious_?" Raven was almost too angry to notice the jolt of electricity that sparked between their skin. "He destroyed the lab! The _whole_ lab! And he hasn't even 'fessed up to it yet! He's still trying to blame the whole thing on Mas y Menos, as if he had _nothing_ to do with it."

Aqualad laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yes… well, that's just part of who he is. Unfortunately."

Raven sighed and shook her head. "I can't believe this. I can't believe _her_."

"Raven, after all this time being friends, you _still _don't realize that Bee is going to do what she wants when she wants and everybody else is just going to have to learn to cope with her plans?" Aqualad chuckled and took off down the hall, tugging at her hand and urging her to follow. "I would have thought you would have been at least a _little _more perceptive than that."

"Well, maybe she should think about someone besides herself every now and then. Like me and my _sanity_." Raven was about to say something else rude but she stopped as Aqualad's thumb moved slowly over her knuckles and she suddenly became _very _aware of the contact he was making with her. Again with the touching? How often did he have touch her? They were _just friends_… right?

Fighting a groan, Raven stared at their hands, wishing she could just figure this whole thing out. Were they friends? Was he just being chivalrous? Or was he trying to annoy her? And most importantly, was it _really_ a date or not? And if so, was it a pity date?

"Don't worry too much about it. Like I said, nothing has been decided yet… Bee happened to mention it in passing last night. And as stubborn as she might be, she'll still ask your permission first." He pulled her into the elevator and pressed the button for the garage. Raven pulled away, trying to put as much space between them as possible. Crammed into the small elevator, the potency of his cologne seemed to increase ten-fold, and Raven was worried what might happen if he got too close to her.

"So…" Raven tried to make small talk and pleasant conversation as the elevator seemed to slide through the floors much too slowly. "Where are we going?"

Aqualad smiled. "I thought I'd give you a taste of true Steel. We're going to a local sandwich shop and then to the museum by the river. I've never done the haunted tour before, but I've had several people tell me it's kind of fun." The smile on his face faded and he cursed quietly and eloquently, making him sound like the prince he was. "Unfortunately the museum informed a few papers that some of the Titans would be there, so there will be some press." He sighed and pushed some hair out of his eyes. "I was hoping it would be quiet, but I guess we have to put on our press faces and pretend everything is okay. I hope you don't mind."

"No… it's all right. I never expect a quiet evening anymore." She offered a small, understanding smile. "You should see what happens when we try and order pizza. It's like ants on a sugar cube."

"I suppose it's part of our curse… along with many others." The doors slid open and they entered the garage, moving to a sleek, black sports car. He unlocked Raven's door and opened it, ushering her inside the leather interior.

"Whose car is this?" Raven stared at the dashboard. This thing had more gadgets than the T-Car and Robin's motorcycle combined and must have cost a fortune.

"Oh, it's Speedy's… He's letting us borrow it." Aqualad's smile turned sly and devious as he pressed the ignition button. The engine purred like the fine machine it was and Aqualad pulled out of the garage and onto the boulevard. "Call it payment for destroying the lab."

"I would have just offered him up as a sacrifice to Bee, but he's not _my_ teammate and I guess it's not really my decision." Raven snorted and leaned back into the seat, watching as the scenery slid by in the darkness. The buildings seemed to press so close to the river that she thought they might fall into the water.

"Oh, don't worry, he'll still be a sacrifice. I just thought I'd make him suffer a little before handing him over to the inquisitor." Aqualad gave a low chuckled, and Raven felt a smile peel across her lips. It amused and frightened her how very alike they could be. A little mean and vindictive.

She glanced over at him and felt something strange in her chest pull taught. So what if Karen wanted to stay a little longer? It was _just _one more week, right? She would be able to spend more well-deserved time with Cyborg, and although Raven would have to fight to keep her sanity, spending a little extra time with Aqualad couldn't be _so_ bad. They could build this… _whatever_ it was between them. Friendship, teamwork, camaraderie… relationship? Raven shuddered and shook the thought from her head. She needed to remember that he was an _Atlantean prince_ and he was out of her league.

"We're here."

Already? Raven looked down the river and saw the lights of Titan Tower several miles away. How long had she been off in la-la-land? And had Aqualad tried to carry on a conversation with her? Damnit, she really needed to stop daydreaming about him and _focus_.

Aqualad slid easily into a parallel parking spot a few buildings down from the restaurant. Even from this distance Raven could hear the raucous noise and laughter, and smell the sweet perfume of greasy meats and deep fried potatoes. Aqualad stepped from the car and opened the door for her, still playing the part of a gentleman. "I will warn you that it might be a bit noisy and crowded, the baseball team is playing an away game tonight and they're actually doing fairly well this season."

Raven snorted. "Is that rare?"

"Very." Aqualad grabbed her hand and they walked down the sidewalk to the busy, packed bar. He held open the door and ushered her into the crowd of people, keeping very close to her. Maybe this particular location wasn't such a good idea. The change in atmospheres was instant and painful, and the noise rattled Raven's insides. She backed up, trying to escape, and slammed into Aqualad's body. He looked down at her and tried to say something, but his words were drowned out by the noise of the bar.

Shaking his head, he placed his hand on her lower back and pushed her through the room. This was _bad. _The scent of his cologne mixed with the scent of greasy food, which married with the hundreds of torrential emotions, sending Raven on sensory overload. She winced in pain and a few lamps overhead trembled with the surge of her power. A window pane cracked somewhere behind her and she stumbled, feeling her feet trip over someone's boot.

Aqualad's fingers slid around her wrist and he pulled her so close to him that Raven could feel the thump of his heartbeat underneath her own sternum. It was slow and steady, calming her. His deep blue eyes looked down into hers with such weight and severity, that Raven thought she might faint like a silly heroine in a romance novel. He pressed his lips close to her ear, so she could hear him over the noise. "Focus on me, Raven. I know it hurts right now, but I had a whole section reserved just for us… you don't have to worry, okay?"

Raven mumbled some response and let him guide her through the crowd. She tried to focus on his smooth fingers around her wrist, the scent of his cologne, the deep cadence of his voice as he talked to her. And then… there was quiet. Raven jerked out of surprise and looked through a window into the bar. She stumbled on her feet a bit, staring at all the patrons dressed in black and gold, shouting obscenities at the umpire on the television screen. Raven turned and looked around their part of the restaurant, sectioned off and completely empty.

Aqualad smiled at her and pushed some hair from her eyes, cupping her cheek in his hand, and Raven shivered from the contact. He chuckled and led her to a table in the middle of the room. "I called earlier this morning to reserve this section for us. I figured the crowd might be a little much for you on a game night. They were only too happy to oblige once I told them there were going to be a few Titans here."

"Thank you." Raven nearly fell into her chair and her head lolled back on her neck as she struggled to grab a few breaths of sanity. "Sorry, I don't go out all that often for this exact reason."

"Well, I promise the food here is worth it."

Raven laughed and sat upright, looking across the table to her friend. She cocked her head to the side and watched him in curiosity. The silence was nice, but she couldn't even feel his own emotions. All of her other teammates' emotions would have brushed against her, but Aqualad was quiet and still, like the surface of an eddy in a river.

"You're deep in thought over there…" He smiled at her. "Is there something you want to talk about?"

"Mm…" Raven's eyebrows knitted together as she stared at him, still trying to understand his emotional silence. "I'm curious as to why you don't affect me the same way as everyone else."

Aqualad raised an eyebrow as if confused by the musing. "I don't affect you? In what way?"

Color flooded Raven's face at the implied question, but she chose to ignore it. That was a response better left in her head than on her lips. "I mean… I never feel your emotions. You're so… quiet. Not that I dislike your quiet, in fact I appreciate it, but I'm so used to being bombarded by thoughts and emotions that I think I get a little confused when I hear nothing around you."

Aqualad laughed. "Well… I'm glad I can at least be a little useful to you."

Raven's face fell and she shook her head. "That's not what I meant… I mean…" She sighed and leaned forward, inching herself closer to him. Aqualad's smile seemed to morph into an almost panicked, skittish look as she pressed closer to him, but he didn't pull away. "Why can't I feel you?"

He mumbled something under his breath, but it was too low and too fast for Raven to make out. "I don't know. Perhaps in has something to do with my own telepathic powers." He forced a laugh, trying to lighten the heavy mood Raven had created. "Or maybe I'm just guarded around you. Does it matter that much as to why?"

She shrugged. "I'd like to know the reason. Maybe I'm just curious."

Aqualad smiled and leaned back into his chair, regarding her carefully. "You of all people, Raven, should know that sometimes we are what we are for no apparent reason. We've never really stopped and thought about how our powers react with one another's, maybe we all react differently to you."

Raven nodded in agreement. "I guess you're right. I never really thought of it that way before."

He smiled and seemed a little more relaxed, now that the serious conversation had evaporated. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm starving. Let's order food."

Raven tried to join in his jovial attitude, but their conversation left a strange taste in her mouth. He seemed glad that she couldn't sense his emotions, glad that she couldn't read his thoughts. Most of her friends and teammates thought the idea of her powers was novel, like some kind of parlor trick. But Aqualad… he liked having mental solitude from her, regardless of the reason why, and that made Raven curious. Exactly what did he have to hide from her? And why did she want to find out what it was?

)O(

Aqualad tried not to laugh as Raven peeled back the top of her sandwich. Her face was priceless, a mixture of confusion and concern for the item on the wax paper in front of her. He knew that Raven _hated _being called "cute", but her expression was exactly that. And her disdain for the sandwich was rather amusing.

She looked up at him, frowning. "Were you aware that there are fries on my sandwich?"

"And coleslaw." He finally let loose a chuckle, which earned him a glare. He waved it off and reached over the table to slide the wax paper closer to her. "Trust me, Raven." An eyebrow peaked at the command and she gingerly took a bite of the sandwich, chewing carefully. Aqualad had to turn and look away, it was all he could do not to laugh.

"Okay… it's actually good. Despite having the fries and coleslaw _on _my sandwich. Which is still weird."

"But it's good, right?"

"I suppose…" Rave took another bite of the sandwich, as if she was still trying to figure it out. "Still weird."

"It's a Steel City favorite, so you have to at least try it once."

"And I did… I'm still trying to decide if I like it or not."

"Well, you are entitled to your opinion."

"I hope so." Raven continued to eat her sandwich in silence, still staring at it as if it were some kind of alien food. Aqualad couldn't help but smile.

In spite of their rather serious conversation earlier, the mood had lightened considerably, and Aqualad found himself enjoying her company more and more. She was clever and smart, and although her humor could be somewhat dry, he found her funny. In short, Aqualad was solidifying his earlier observations: he _liked_ Raven, more than a teammate, and more than a friend.

If there were any doubts about his feelings, they quickly vanished the moment he pulled her close in that crowd. He felt her soft body press against his, and all he wanted do was kiss her senseless right there, damned be the onlookers. Aqualad licked his lips and shifted uncomfortably. He needed to stop daydreaming around her, or he would find himself in a world of trouble later. Just because she couldn't read his emotions didn't mean she couldn't read _him_. And if his thoughts were any indication of his expressions, then his face had to be filled with all kinds of impure intentions.

)O(

_So… there is chapter four. I apologize that the length is rather short. My original intention was to combine chapter four and five, but there's a little too much action in chapter five to mix with chapter four. But, I hope it will be out soon. Please leave a review and let me know what you think. Thanks again!_


	5. Chapter 5

**The Deepest Shade of Blue  
**Chapter Five

)O(

Raven groaned as she stared at the small crowd of press meandering around the entrance to the museum. Most of them had cameras around their necks and were fidgeting with photo settings, making sure that they got the perfect shot of her and Aqualad on their non-date, discovering the secret history of Steel City. Raven bit back a curse, she could just see the headlines tomorrow: "First Love! Water and Darkness Meet!" or whatever nonsensical bullshit they decided to create that day.

The only thing Raven hated more than the press was Mumbo.

For a brief moment she debated whether or not to head back to the tower and cut this ridiculous behavior short. Aqualad made that decision for her. He tugged on her hand, pulling her a little closer to him, and looked down at her with a sympathetic expression. "We promised, and it's good for the museum to drum up some business or investors. Our job as Titans isn't _always _about saving the world from imminent threats."

"I _know_ that… but look at them!" Raven waved in their general direction and growled. "They all look like cougars at a frat party! Ready to pounce at the first sign of beer pong!"

Aqualad snorted, and his lips twitched in some effort to hide his smile. "Did you _seriously_ call them cougars?" He mulled over that image for a moment before laughing. "Although I suppose the description is spot on."

Raven gave a defeated sigh at looked up at him, watching as he started to cross the street, tugging on her hand. Aqualad had gotten unusually comfortable with touching her lately… not that she minded. Let's be honest here, who would turn away the physical ministrations of an Atlantean _prince_?It was just odd to know that he could touch her or hold her hand and Raven wasn't bombarded by a million emotions, memories, and thoughts. Of course, it also bothered her that she had _no _idea what he was thinking, and why he kept holding her hand, and _why _he had a picture of her in a bikini. Some mysteries _really _needed to be solved.

Raven had to take a few extra steps to catch up to his stride. She heaved a huge, echoing sigh as they passed under the freeway bridge that ran above the street, close to the museum. "You do realize they're going to turn this outing into a date, or some kind of romantic entanglement?"

Aqualad stopped walking and glanced down at her, his face cryptic and blank. He looked strange, bathed in shadows and the orange-yellow color of street lamps, almost frightening. His lips frowned and his fingers slid in between hers, pulling her a little closer to him. Heat and cologne spilled off of him, nearly overrunning all of her senses and turning her into a blabbering mess. "You don't consider this a date?" His voice was pitched so low that Raven thought her insides might melt.

"You… I…" Raven blinked up at him, desperately trying to regain her senses. But Bee had said… was she _lying _to her? Not that it would have been the first time, but Raven had explicitly asked her if it was a date, and she denied it completely. Swallowing back her trepidation, Raven finally responded with a question of her own. "Do _you _consider it a date?"

Aqualad gave her a vague, but curious, smile and tugged at her arm again, pulling her closer to the museum. And much to Raven's annoyance, he left the question unanswered. If he considered this a date, then why hadn't he told _her_ that? To her dismay, she couldn't read his thoughts, and Raven was beginning to suspect that Aqualad enjoyed that particular aspect of their relationship. Everything was a guessing game between them, and _that _annoyed her even more than Mumbo.

Raven mumbled out a curse and followed him into the crowd of reporters around the door. There was a slow, heavy pause before eyes locked on the pair of superheroes, and then all hell broke loose.

The instant one reporter caught a glance of the two Titans, the rest joined in as if it were some kind of fight, shouting and hollering questions, each one trying to be louder than the other. The throng pressed close to Aqualad and Raven, shoving recorders into their faces. How did they feel about the new exhibits? How did they feel the mayor was doing at education? How can museums help us remember that history shouldn't repeat its self? How did Raven like Steel City? Why had she come to visit? Where was Bumble Bee? Why was Aqualad showing her around?

Were they a couple?

Raven halted in her footsteps, blinking and staring into the crowd, desperately searching for the reporter who asked that question. The other reporters seemed to catch the change in her mood and they all moved closer to her, shouting even louder and taking more pictures. How long had they been dating? Wasn't she supposed to be with Beast Boy? How did Robin feel about inter-team relationships? Flashes burst in front of Raven's eyes and she stumbled backward, her hand slipping from Aqualad's. Without him next to her, the reporters pressed even closer, screaming and flailing their arms to get her attention.

Emotions spilled over her and Raven grasped at her chest, feeling her heart pound with their tense, animated energy. Skin touched her and Raven bit her lip to keep from screaming, her body burned with their emotions, washing over her like hot acid. She could see the street lights flicker, and in the distance she saw Aqualad's concerned and almost panicked expression. He was desperately fighting to squeeze his way back to her, but was blocked by a massive beast of a man. Raven saw his lips form her name, but the sound didn't reach her ears. All she could hear were the endless questions and white noise.

A rogue elbow caught her cheek hard and Raven fell backward, nearly tumbling down the steps. Her fall was halted by a cool hand wrapping around her wrist and pulling her upright. Aqualad pressed next to her and looked into her eyes. "Are you okay?"

Raven knew she must have looked desperate, but at that moment she couldn't care. The sensations were too much to handle, and if they didn't stop soon, the whole block would be in danger of an emotional outburst. Her hand squeezed his own wrist as she stared up at him. "Please… make this stop."

Aqualad screamed at the top of his lungs and the reporters instantly silenced. He looked each of them in the eyes, glaring. "Look, I understand you have a job to do. But we're just two friends who are going out to the museum. Please, step back and let us through. If you want an interview, you will have to schedule one like all the other networks." He pulled Raven closer and guided her to the front door, where security guards were busy keeping non-patrons and press out of the museum. Inside the entry hall, Aqualad set her down on a bench and moved next to her, making sure his body blocked any view from the press outside.

Raven let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. She looked down at her hands, which were shaking in her lap. That had been far too close for comfort, any more emotions added to the mix and Raven would have to explain why an entire city block went up in flames. Aqualad's fingers ran over the inside of her palms, trying to still their spasms. Raven had to bite her lip to keep from telling him that he was making it worse.

"I thought I saw an elbow caught your cheek… let me see the damage."

Raven glared at him, tilting her head to hide the mark in shadows. "I'm _fine_. I'm a _Titan_, Garth, and it's just a bruise. I think I'll live."

Aqualad rolled his eyes and grabbed her chin in his hand, pulling her face close to his. Raven felt her heart jump into her throat as she stared into his deep blue eyes. What was he doing? And why were they so close? She closed her eyes, trying to block out the visual of him being so close to her, but was unable to remove the feel of his moist skin and the scent of his cologne.

"You're right… it's not too bad, but it's going to bruise later." Raven felt his thumb slide carefully over the mark. "Maybe even swell. But here, let me make it better." Before she could ask what that meant, Raven felt his lips press lightly to the discolored skin.

He kissed her.

On the cheek.

In a crowded museum hall.

Raven suddenly wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole. Her eyes ripped open and she stared into his smirking face. "Better?"

"I… I guess." Raven raised a hand to her cheek and felt her injury. Did that _seriously _happen? "Thanks."

"Don't worry." He stood up and offered her his hand, pulling her to her feet. Raven felt a bit like a newborn foal, stumbling and tripping over her own toes as she followed him into the crowd of people waiting for the tour to start. Most of the other patrons on the tour were well-to-dos in the local society. An owner of a local, prosperous factory, a son of a steel tycoon, a few blonde socialites who didn't look like they knew history if it smacked them in the face, and even the mayor. The mayor was, of course, surrounded by children in need and a few, special members of the press.

Aqualad kept Raven next to him and schmoozed through the crowd as if he knew them all personally and intimately. And any time someone questioned about Raven, he expertly steered the conversation back to something safer and more mundane. Through all of this, Raven stared up at him, trying to keep her face blank. Clearly this was not his first rodeo, and she vaguely wondered what his social experience was like in Atlantis. Did he have to smooth tensions between foreign dignitaries and other people at odds?

"I'm so glad so many people came out to visit us!" Raven was yanked from a conversation about socioeconomic tensions within one of the poorer suburbs, and looked up at petite woman with gray hair pulled into a severe bun. "It's an honor to have so many of Steel City's residents take pride and interest in their city, and I appreciate everything you've given to this great museum. Without further ado, let us take… the haunted tour!" After her somewhat awkward dramatic pause, the lights dimmed down to almost nothing, leaving all the museum patrons in near darkness.

"Great." Raven mumbled under her breath. "You didn't tell me it was going to be pitch black."

"It's a _haunted _museum tour. I assumed you would have known it was going to be dark." Aqualad chuckled next to her, and his fingers slid in between her own. Raven felt her heart burn to life at the touch. It was one thing to hold her hand in daylight, but it was a completely different experience to hold her hand in darkness. She felt him lean down and press his lips to her ear, dropping his voice low. "Don't worry, Raven… I'll protect you from any rogue ghosts."

Raven was glad he couldn't see the blush spreading across her face. What was he _doing_? In the past few hours he'd transformed from someone who wanted to be a friend, into someone who wanted to be something more. He _flirted _with her at every chance he got. And while she was normally opposed to attention like that, having it come from Aqualad… well, it made her want to flirt back. If Aqualad would ever let her have a chance to flirt back.

"Come on, Raven. While I enjoy standing here in darkness with you, we are falling behind."

Raven's blush grew deeper and she fought the urge to drop his hand. "Then why don't we catch up?" She took a few steps ahead of him, pulling on his arm and leading them back to the tour. The curator was droning on about some of the artifacts and their significance to the Underground Railroad, and slave trade within the city during the late 1600's. Raven would have found it more interesting if she didn't have to hear the mindless, vapid chatter from the socialites behind her.

"Why _are _all these people here?" Raven whispered to Aqualad as they meandered through the displays. "I would have thought that all of these people had more interesting and exciting things to do on a Friday night."

"I wish." He glanced down and her and sighed, and if suddenly exhausted. "They're here because _we're_ here. Unfortunately the moment the museum caught wind of us being here, every social well-to-do within a hundred mile radius wanted to come. It's a chance to have your picture taken with a Titan and get more press for… whatever you need. Although I think the socialites over there were under the impression Speedy was going to be attending."

"Ugh. Thank the goddess he didn't. Can you imagine what would happen if I were left alone in the dark with him?" Raven ran her hands through her hair and shook her head, imagining the blood stains she would have had to explain.

Aqualad chuckled. "I imagine his lifespan would be considerably shorter." He leaned down and looked her in the eyes, and Raven stumbled backwards half a step. He was invading her space again, as if teasing her with the fact that she couldn't sense his emotions. The space between them grew suddenly thick, and Raven took another step back. "I _am_ glad you agreed to this though."

"Why wouldn't I have?" Raven tried to pretend nonchalance, but she was genuinely curious.

"To be perfectly honest… you're not one for social outings." Aqualad followed the tour through the maze of display cases, but made sure to keep them a safe distance from the crowd. It was as if he were trying to keep their conversation away from curious ears. "Even when we try and keep the get-togethers low key you…" His words drifted off for a moment and he gave her a very serious look, as if he were chastising her. "You still opt to spend more time alone than with the team. And knowing what I do now about your powers, I understand why you were always so distant. Even still… I feel as though I missed out on getting to know you and building our friendship."

"Oh…" Raven, for the millionth time that night, thanked the goddess that the lights were turned down low. Where had all of these confessions come from? "I… I didn't know you felt so strongly about it."

"You're a great friend, Raven. And you've got such a personality, I wish I could understand it more." He smiled at her, it was slow and languid, as if he knew some kind of secret she didn't. "That's why I'm glad you came out tonight. So, we can make up for lost time."

Raven felt her stomach drop to the floor as he moved closer to her, his hands moving from her hands to her hips. The space between them was so small, that she could feel his energy pulsate under her touch. What in the world was he doing? Furthermore, what was he doing _to her_? Aqualad reached out to touch her face and stroked the darkening mark on her cheek. His lips tugged down into a frown, and he looked into her eyes. "It's getting worse, Raven. We should head back to the tower and look at it."

Raven let go of a breath she didn't know she was holding, and she forced a deadpanned stare at him, grateful for the distraction. Anything to keep her from remembering that he stood a few, careful inches away from her. "I'm _fine_. Jeez, with the way you baby me you'd think I was going to die because some guy couldn't control his elbow." Raven pushed his hand away, rolling her eyes. "Now, come on. We're falling way behind the rest of the tour, and if we stay alone any longer the press is going to think we're up to something inappropriate."

Aqualad's eyebrow peaked. "Inappropriate?" He smirked down at her. "Why? Because we're two young adults left alone in the dark?"

"Exactly." Raven tugged on his wrist and stepped around him. "Now, let's catch up with the group."

"Wait." Aqualad's body suddenly stilled, and moved to stand next to her, looking distracted. Raven tried to see what he was looking at, but she couldn't see anything in the inkiness. "I swear I just saw something in the dark over there." He pointed to a modern-art looking display of steel and raw iron, which was to signify the change in exhibits.

Raven rolled her eyes. "You're just trying to scare me into thinking there are actual ghosts here."

"No, Raven… I'm serious. I thought I saw…" Aqualad's sentence was cut short as the display of steel wobbled slightly, and Raven saw a small shadow dart around its edges, as if playing hide and seek or tag. She sighed. It must have been one of the kids that was with the mayor earlier. The idiot left him unattended, and let the child run around in the dark, surrounded by priceless pieces of history. Aqualad cursed eloquently and mumbled something about ruining the moment. Raven could only speculate as to what _exactly_ he meant by that.

"Hey, little kid?" Raven took a few steps forward, her hand reaching out for the shadow. The kid stopped and she could see two huge brown eyes stare up at her, curious. "You know you shouldn't be playing alone over here. It's dangerous and you could get hurt."

The kid stared up at the two Titans as if confused, but also intrigued by the superheroes. "The mayor wasn't watching. What does she care if I play by myself?"

Aqualad knelt down on one knee to look the child in the face. "Well, Raven and I care. We'd hate to see you get lost or hurt, and the other kids are probably missing playing with you. Plus, think of all the interesting things you could be learning. You're missing out on all that knowledge." Raven had to bite back a laugh at the kid glared at Aqualad. Clearly he found this tour about as interesting as the socialites did. Aqualad patted the kid on the shoulder. "Okay, maybe you won't appreciate this now, but I bet the other kids _are _missing you. Why don't you catch up to them?"

The kid seemed to think about it for a minute before staring up into Raven's face, still intrigued. Why did all the kids want her to be their nanny? She didn't even _like _kids! Raven bent over and tried to smile at the boy, but she knew it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'd be missing you if you were _my _friend."

"Why can't I stay with you?"

The question hit Raven like a bullet and she stepped back, her smile falling. The kid couldn't stay with them because they were… well, what _were _they doing? Talking? Or… something else? After all, Aqualad had been _very _close. Raven felt color flood her face, and Aqualad choose to answer for her. "I wish you could come with us, but Raven and I were doing something alone."

The child looked from Raven to Aqualad, and tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Were you going to kiss her?"

Raven blanched and took another step back, mortified by the unrestrained question. What was _with _this kid? Were they going to _kiss_? What in the world was going on with kids these days that they had the gall to ask that? Furthermore, what _was_ going on with Aqualad? Had he actually been planning to kiss her? Raven felt floor flood her face and she looked away, pretending she didn't hear a thing.

Aqualad seemed unfazed and he smiled down at the boy. "That is my special secret. But, let me ask you this: if I _were _going to kiss Raven, would you really want to watch?"

"Ew! Gross!" The boy stuck his tongue out and scrunched his face up, as if he'd tasted overcooked broccoli.

"Well, then you better catch up to the other kids, otherwise you might have to see me kiss her."

"Ew! No!" The kid didn't even stop to consider that idea, and he started moving around the tower of refined steel and pig iron like it was a fortress to protect him from cooties. Aqualad stood on his feet and watched him leave, chuckling to himself. Raven didn't find his joke very funny and she glared at him.

"You are terrible. You probably scarred that poor kid for life."

"Nah." Aqualad laughed and looked back at her, smiling. "Just scared him a bit. We wouldn't want him to catch a terminal case of the cooties, now would we?"

Raven was about to retort with something witty and rude, but was cut short by a huge groaning above her head. Shadows moved under her feet and she looked at the boy, who stood frozen in fear, staring up at the wobbling tower of metal. It teetered for a moment, and then started to tilt toward the little boy. Panic hit her quicker than she knew how to react, and Raven's heart seized up. She pointed toward the display, watching as chunks of raw iron toppled to the floor, shaking the boards. "Garth! The metal is falling, he's going to be crushed!"

Cursing, Aqualad rushed to the little boy and wrapped his arms around him, trying to push him out of the way. He was too slow. The display started to fall in more pieces, and one got so close to Aqualad it gouged his left bicep. Blood spilled everywhere, but the boy was protected and safe in his arms, and that's what mattered. Now, Raven had to protect both of them. Whispering her mantra, she pushed her powers outward, creating a barrier around the two.

Aqualad called out for her to stop, but if she did they would be destroyed. Pieces of metal and debris fell on the barrier, yanking at her soul and sending shockwaves through her body. Her teeth and bones rattled with the pressure, but she wouldn't let go, even if the pain was almost unbearable. Trying to keep calm, she cursed and held fast until the display had completely fallen over and everyone came away safe. Gasping for breath, Raven collapsed in a pile on the floor.

"Raven!" She could hear Aqualad's firm, almost angry voice approach her. "That was stupid, not shielding yourself from the damage."

Dust and debris filled the air, smearing the room around her into a gray haze. Raven could hear a shrieking alarm above her head, alerting everyone in the museum that disaster had happened. Under that alarm, she could hear the little boy crying and looking for his mother, the applause of the other patrons, and the panicked apologies of the museum curator. Emotions of fear, concern, anger, frustration, and panic pressed at her senses as all the patrons moved closer to her, trying to decipher what had happened.

She pried open her eyes and tried to make out the shape of her friend and the little boy grasping desperately to his hand. "Sorry… I… I didn't think it would be so heavy. I thought I might be able to stop it quicker…" Her words drifted off as she stared at the small stream of blood spilling down Aqualad's arm, dripping into the carpet. Raven's eyebrows knitted together and she glared. She hadn't been able to stop the iron quick enough, and Aqualad had gotten hurt in the process. It was sheer dumb luck that no one had gotten killed. Raven frowned and met his eyes. "You're hurt."

Aqualad glanced down at his arm, unconcerned. "I'm _fine_." He knelt down next to her and pulled her into a sitting position, still glaring at her. "_You're_ the one who's hurt. Raven…" He bit back a curse and shook his head, his eyes filled with an emotion Raven couldn't quite place. "Sometimes you're _really _stupid."

Raven was going to make a rather rude comment, but the little boy ran into her lap and stared up at her face. He pressed a hand to her forehead, his eyes wide and wet with tears. "That was so scary! I thought I was going to get _really _hurt! Did you hit your head? Do you want me to kiss it? I don't kiss girls, but I will make your ouchies go away. That's what mommy tells me." He was running words at a million miles a minute, still trying to stop his tears and understand what just happened. "I will make you better."

Raven felt him shaking under her touch, and she had to smile. He was trying to be brave for her, that was almost sweet. "I bet if you kiss my ouchies, I'll feel better." The boy stood up and pressed a quick, sloppy kiss to her forehead. Raven chuckled and patted the boy on the head. "All better, thanks to you."

He gave a shy smile and stumbled off her lap and towards the one of the people the mayor had looking after him. There was more chatter as everyone tried to ask questions, but Raven and Aqualad ignored them for the moment. She stared into his face, her smile slowly fading as his glare got angrier. "You really could have hurt yourself, Raven. You didn't even throw up a barrier around yourself. What if some of that steel fell on you?"

"Well, it didn't and I'm safe. Jeez, sometimes you sound just like Robin." She rolled her eyes and held up a hand for him to grab. "Now, help me up, so we can figure out what happened here and why two tons of raw iron and refined steel decided to come crashing down on us."

Aqualad cursed again, pulling her to her feet. "You're not going to figure _anything _out tonight. I'm getting you back to the tower before something else disastrous happens and you lose a limb."

"Goddess, you're such a drama queen. I'm _fine._" Raven rolled her eyes and tried to pretend that everything was okay. The truth was that her knees felt like jelly and her ankles had completely forgotten how to hold her weight. She teetered for a moment, trying to block out the pain, and the sound of cameras and a million questions all thrown at her at once. Curiosity filled the room as everybody moved toward her, pressing their faces closer, like little kids would do at the zoo. Raven stumbled backward, slamming into Aqualad's warm body. He looked down at her and shook his head.

He pressed his lips to her ear, whispering. "Are you _sure_ you want to stay here? It'll be a full-on press investigation of this silly accident."

Raven's eyes darted around the room, looking at everyone's faces and feeling their emotions rip through her. This was a bad idea. A _very _bad idea. "Okay, okay… you're right. I need to get out of here before we have another episode like we did in the street."

"Exactly. Now, come one, Raven. Let's get back to the tower." Aqualad wrapped an arm around her waist, trying to hold her upright as he steered them towards the door. The press still followed them, now completely uninterested in whatever nonsense the mayor was going on about. They were spitting off a million questions at once. Was it an attempt to hurt them? Was it an accident? Had they known that the display was not properly bolted to the floor? Where were they going now? Was Aqualad seriously injured?

"Give her a kiss! She saved your life!"

Raven felt embarrassment rip through her body at the cruel joke. Why would a reporter do that to them? They were just friends! Cursing, she turned to say something to Aqualad. In that exact same moment, he turned to say something to a reporter, and in an act of cruel serendipity, their lips touched. Electricity ripped between them with the contact and Raven jerked away, seriously wishing the floor would swallow them _both _whole.

They kissed.

One, innocent, accidental kiss, that every reporter in that room now had a picture of.

Her life was doomed.

)O(

Aqualad's life had turned suddenly and uncomfortably awkward. It was an accident, they both knew that, but it still didn't change what happened. There was no way to erase that.

The ride home had been quiet, the walk through the tower had been eerie and silent, and their goodnights had been mumbled under the stress of the evening. But, even still… Aqualad had kissed Raven. Okay, it was an accidental kiss, and it wasn't so much of a _kiss_ as it was lips brushing against each other. But, it was still there. A kiss. With Raven.

Aqualad leaned against his bedroom door and stared at his large, empty bed, trying to calm his wild thoughts into something more cohesive and tangible. Into something that made sense. Of course, now _nothing _made sense to him. Not after their ghost of a kiss. It was barely something he could have said was real. But her lips were soft, her hair smelled of lavender, and she was warm in his arms. It was real enough for him, and he wanted more, and he had the distinct feeling that he would _always _want more.

He slammed his fist on the door and bit back a scream. His careful, well-laid plans of attempting to woo Raven had been uprooted by an accidental kiss.

Cursing, Aqualad threw open to door to his room and stormed down the hall to the guest room. He should have tended to his wounds, the one on his bicep was starting to throb, but his wounds just didn't seem all that important right now. His could feel his emotions start to take precedence over sanity, and that only mean that he was going to make a _stupid _decision. Princes shouldn't make stupid decisions, but Aqualad was feeling particularly idiotic this evening and he would make stupid decisions if he wanted to. He knocked on Raven's door, there was a long pause, and finally the door slid open.

"Um… hi." She stared up at him, her eyes wide and her lips trembling.

_God_, her lips. Aqualad fought to keep his cool, and he moved to close the space between them. He watched as Raven swallowed slowly, trying to adjust to their proximity. "I forgot to give you something."

"Which was?" She raised an eyebrow, and Aqualad could see the troubled look in her eyes.

"This." Aqualad, not waiting for a response, pressed his mouth against her own, this time enjoying a _real_ kiss.

)O(

_So… I sincerely apologize for my recent absence. I also apologize for the editing in these last few scenes. I know they are somewhat left to be desired. That being said, I still wish to hear what you think! Please leave a review, and let me know how you feel!_


	6. Chapter 6

**The Deepest Shade of Blue  
**Chapter Six

)O(**  
**

Raven wished she was dreaming. She wished she was hallucinating. She wished she was having a _nightmare_. At this point, _anything_ would have been better than knowing that Aqualad was pressed against her, his mouth moving slowly over her own, filling her lips with slow, drugging lips. And, _Goddess_, did he know how to kiss. It was no wonder women swooned when they were around him, he knew how to kiss like a Casanova. And he tasted salty and cool, like sea spray, the taste was addicting. Raven felt her fingers slide into the folds of his shirt, pulling him even closer to her.

Not that there was anywhere for him to go. They were both pinned into the small, sheltered corner next to her bedroom door, and his hands pressed on either side of her, caging her into the space. Raven felt his lips trail from her mouth to her neck, nipping and biting at the exposed flesh. For once she was glad that her uniform was high-necked, because his love bites were sure to show in the morning. His tongue slid along the smooth line of her throat, tracing her jugular.

Raven whimpered before she could stop herself, and his name fell from her lips.

Aqualad stopped suddenly, pulling away to look at her. His eyes were almost wild with emotion, and she could feel his arms starting to tremble next to his side. For a moment, Raven thought it was an indication of his fear, but she quickly realized that it was an indication of his _restrain_. He was fighting against whatever emotions were coursing through his system right now.

"This…" His voice broke off and he looked down at her feet before meeting her eyes again. Silence wrapped around them until the air became so still that Raven could hear their rapidly beating hearts. "I… I'm sorry, Raven. I never meant for this to happen so suddenly."

_I never meant for this to happen so suddenly._ Raven had to stop and ponder that for a moment. Did that mean he _meant _for this to happen _eventually_? In the near future? Tomorrow? Realization flooded her brain, making her feel lightheaded, and she leaned against the wall for support. He had _wanted _to kiss her. Did that mean… her mind was suddenly filled with flashbacks of all the quiet moments, shy glances, heated stares, gentle touching, copping a feel next to the river, and of course, the ravaging kisses.

He was trying to court her.

Oh, Goddess.

Raven finally began to understand _why _Aqualad kept a picture of her in a bikini, and that made her face burn bright red. His expression was a mixture between fear, anger, restrain, and hopefulness, and it was all laced with burning desire.

"Are you going to say something?" Aqualad seemed to sense her emotions, and he watched her carefully.

She wanted to say something beautiful and eloquent, something about his eyes or charm, something about her feelings, but it was all lost on her tongue. And, like the foolish girl she was, all she could mumble was: "You're bleeding."

He was _actually_ bleeding from his bicep, and a few drops of blood had fallen to the floor, but it didn't seem to bother him. Nor did it get in the way of his kissing. Oh, _his kissing_. Raven's eyes moved to his lips and she could feel herself drawn to them, as if her body was begging to be kissed again.

Aqualad sighed and took a step back, breaking the spell between them. "Yes, I suppose I am. I better go clean up and bandage it." He moved as if he were going to walk away, and something in his gait made Raven panic. Did he think she didn't _want _him? That her pants and moans had been faked? Without thinking, her hand reached out and wrapped around his wrist, stopping his retreat.

Aqualad turned and looked at her, his head cocked to the side.

"I… I can heal you if you want." Raven motioned to her still open door, and suddenly realized how inappropriate that must have looked to him. Goddess, she was stupid. She was a grown woman, and yet Aqualad turned her into a bumbling schoolgirl every time they touched. "It'll just take a few minutes. Then… you can go… if you want too."

Raven cringed. _That_ definitely sounded like an invitation.

"I would appreciate it if you did, Raven." Aqualad's voice was pitched low, passion still threading through the cadence. Raven's stomach melted and she stared up at him, suddenly wondering if _she _would be able to control herself. There was no doubt in her mind that Aqualad would be the ideal image of genteel, but she couldn't make any promises about herself. Especially not if he kept kissing her like he did.

Aqualad followed her into the bedroom, and the door closed behind them. The air stilled again, and Raven had to take a few calming breaths before she could look at him. What was she _doing_? She was inviting him into her room, alone, in the _dark_, and now she would be touching him? Why did she have to keep making such _dumb _decisions?

Aqualad turned and looked at her, eyes still dark with from their kiss. "Do you need me to take my shirt off?"

Raven's throat seized. Aqualad half-naked and alone in her bedroom? Yes! Yes, she needed him to take his shirt off, and his pants if he was offering. Her face burned bright red and she looked away, nodding. "If you don't mind. I need to get to the wound to properly heal it." Sure. That sounded like a viable excuse.

Aqualad unbuttoned the dark blue shirt and peeled it off his body, exposing his muscled chest and arms. Raven had to fight to keep her mouth from falling open. Goddess, it should be a mortal sin to be made like that. He wore his scars and wounds like they were medals of honor, and the way his hair fell into his face made him look like the hero in a very steamy romance novel. The air in the room turned thick and heavy as he stared at her, eyebrow raised. "Is everything okay?"

"Your wound looks bad." Stupid comment number two. Here he was, standing half-naked in front of her, waiting for an indication of approval and all she could focus on was his stupid, non-fatal wound? She was _really _good at blurting words before she thought about them.

Aqualad sighed again and looked away, offering his arm to her. "Go ahead. Knock yourself out." He frowned, but didn't say anything more. Whatever passion or desire had been between them quickly dissipated, leaving something empty and quiet in its wake. Raven cringed under the absence of feelings. She didn't need her powers to know that he was upset, and it was probably her fault.

Her eyes swept up to look at him, but he wasn't even facing her. "Garth… I…" Her words drifted off, and Raven shook her head. Why couldn't she just tell him the truth? That being around him both frightened and excited her. That she liked whatever was building between them, and all she wanted was some kind of indication that he liked it too? Raven sighed. It wouldn't do her any good, there was a _reason _she was un-dateable.

She wrapped her hand over his wound, feeling the blood ooze between her fingers. She whispered her mantra and her energy spilled into his body, repairing his cells and relieving the pain. He looked down at her, now curious. Raven took a deep breath and stared at her hand around his bicep. "I'm sorry… for the way I'm acting… this is all really new to me."

"Healing?"

Raven glanced up at him to see the smirk on his lips. He was joking at least, that was a good sign that things were being mended between them. She rolled her eyes and returned to healing his wound. "No. I mean… whatever this is between us. I'm not exactly the kind of girl any guy would go after, let alone a prince, and let alone _you_. Having you… _be interested_ in me isn't something I ever expected. And to be quite frank with you… I'm not sure if I know how to handle it."

"Why not?" There was a long pause and Aqualad reached out to touch her with his free hand, tilting her chin up so she was forced to look at him. His eyes were that deep shade of blue again, the color that reminded her of the sky and midnight. A shiver ran down her spine and she found herself leaning closer to his warmth. "Why don't you think that someone would be interested in you?"

His question broke the trance between them, and Raven pulled her chin away, glaring at him. "Because I'm a demon, duh." She sighed and leaned back on her heels, watching him. "And I'm told that I'm _creepy_."

"I don't see how being a demon makes any difference as to why someone wouldn't be interested in you. I'm part fish for Poseidon's sake. And I don't think you're creepy." He leaned a bit closer to her, pulling his bicep away from her grasp. "I think you're beautiful, intelligent, funny, and charming."

"_Charming_? You think I'm _charming_?" Raven rolled her eyes. Now, he was teasing her, and there was no excuse for that. "Have you ever listened to a conversation between us? I am cynical and mean, _charming_ is _definitely _not part of my character."

Aqualad's stare told her that he was not amused with her joking, and the weight of his gaze made her feel almost ill. "We've had more than several very involved conversations, Raven, and every time you are charming. Whether you intend to be or not." He crossed his arms over his chest and continued to stare at her, trying to understand the storm of emotions between them. "But I think the first time I found you intriguing was the recon mission in Somalia. Do you remember?"

Raven's eyebrows knitted as she recalled the memory. It had been a rather dangerous mission, and her and Aqualad had somehow managed to lock themselves inside a titanium crate for three hours, thanks to an error from Beast Boy's directional skills, or lack-there-of. She glanced up at him and raised an eyebrow. "We were locked in a titanium crate on a pirate ship for three hours. I don't remember our conversation being all that interesting or intellectually stimulating. Let alone me being charming."

"Well… you were. You spent most of the time asking questions about me…" Aqualad took a step closer to her and Raven took a step back, feeling the comforter on her bed touch the back of her thighs. He was trying to back her into a corner and pin her down. Raven wasn't sure if she should be frightened or aroused, but she seemed to enjoy the outcome of the latter more.

Aqualad dipped his head low, so that their noses almost touched. Heat and electricity exploded between them, it was a wonder that Raven didn't melt into a puddle at his feet. "I thought it was cute, the way you kept the topic away from you."

"That is a defensive mechanism so we don't have to talk about _me._ Which is my _least _favorite subject." Her heart was threatening to burst from her chest at that very moment. If he got any closer, her heart would break a rib before bursting into flames.

He smiled, as if the excuse was _cute _or _funny_. "Do you remember the beach party Cy and Bee threw last summer? In Jump?" His eyes darkened as if he were remembering a particularly fond memory.

"Yes…" Raven swallowed. She knew where this was going, but forced to keep her stare blank. She didn't need to get herself into any more trouble. "What about it?" Aqualad just raised an eyebrow and smiled, and that sent a shiver running through her bones. She tried to pretend nonchalance, but she was sure he could see the emotions in her eyes. "So what?"

"That was the first time I saw you in a bikini… and the first time I saw you soaking wet. I've never seen anything more beautiful in my life." Only Aqualad could turn potentially lewd images into a compliment.

"I don't see how that has anything to do with me being charming." Raven tried to look intimidating, but her hands were shaking and her lips were begging to be kissed. He had to see the emotions in her eyes, there was no way she could hide them now. "Or what this is between us."

His predatory stare softened a little and he leaned back on his heels. "What do you think this is between us?"

Raven blinked up at him, a little taken aback by the question. What _did _she think was between them? She had spent the better part of the week asuming that there was nothing between them except camraderie. Hell, she had spent the better part of the _night_ assuming that their "excursion" was _not_ a date. "I don't know. I... I thought you wanted to be friends."

"To be closer to you." He sighed and crossed his arms over his naked chest, still staring at her. "You said it yourself, we've never had a chance to become really close friends. I want to be friends, I want to be more... and you're right, every time we get together the world is going to end. We don't get a whole lot of time with one another, we've never even had the a chance."

Raven didn't know what to say, so she kept quiet.

Aqualad sighed and reached out to push hair from her face. "Do you remember the first night you were here? You asked me what Bee had to offer me to wake up at the sound of the alarm?"

Raven nodded slowly. Where was this going?

"It was you, Raven." His eyes darkened and he shook his head, sighing. "She promised me that she would bring you to Steel. And in spite of the fact that she wants you to think this switch was all for herself, it was not."

"Oh." Raven cringed as soon as the word left her mouth. Really? He just admitted to finagling this _whole_ switch between her and Karen, and the only response she had was 'oh'? She was _really_ good at just messing everything up between them. "I... didn't realize."

"That was the intention." He rubbed the back of his head and gave her a long, hard stare. Something in the way he looked at her made Raven's whole being alight with white-hot fire. She had never felt this way in her entire life, and she wasn't quite sure if she liked it yet. It made her feel a little out of control. He sighed again. "Look, Raven... if you don't want anything between us, that's fine. But at least let me know. I _need_ to know."

"I never said I didn't want it." Raven cringed. Her voice sounded almost angry. She took a deep breath and looked up at him. "I never said I didn't want you to be... _this_. I just thought that you..." She sighed and stared at the ceiling, trying to calm her torrential emotions. "I just thought that... _look_, Garth. You're a prince. A _prince_. And _Aqualad_, protoge to _Aquaman_... look at me! I'm a half-demon psychopath with the ability to topple dimensions. This isn't a good match."

Aqualad snorted and raised an incredulous eyebrow. "Says who?"

"Says normalcy!" Raven threw her hands into the air and cursed. "Says society. Says superhero propriety... I don't know. But look at me... I'm not a good match. Not at all."

"_I_ want you." His eyes darkened as the word "want" fell from his lips. "And I've wanted you for a long time. Raven… believe me when I say, that I am _very_ interested in you… and you will know the full extent of my interest… even if it takes me all night."

Raven's face burned red at the implied actions and she tried to glare up at him, but she was positive she looked weak. And she _knew_ her resolve was failing. "You're talking as if I'm going to let you stay."

He smirked and leaned forward a little more, so that his lips ghosted against hers. "You're _looking_ at me as if you are."

He _knew_. There was no doubt in her mind that Aqualad knew exactly what was on her mind. Since the first time she met him all those years ago, she had been falling for him bit by bit, until all she loved was the deep shade of midnight blue. Raven looked into his eyes and tried to say something, but nothing came out. So she did the only thing that made sense, she kissed him.

)O(

What the fuck was that beeping?

Oh right. Her communicator. Lifeline to the Titans, or whatever bullshit Robin called it. Raven rolled over, crawling over Aqualad's body to the night stand next to him. He groaned and wrapped an arm around her waist, trying to pull her back under the covers. She cursed and pushed his hands off her as her fingers tightened around the yellow device. She flipped it open and yawned at the image of Bee.

"Raven speaking."

Bee blinked back at her, confused. "Raven… what are you doing with Aqualad's communicator…?"

"Er…" The events of the night came rushing up to her and Raven had to fight back a scream of horror as she looked down to see Aqualad smirking up at her, looking entirely too pleased with himself. Had she _really _done _that _with him? His mouth opened, and he spoke before Raven had a chance to stop him.

"Sorry, Bee. We must have gotten them mixed up. I'm right here."

"Oh…" There was a moment of slow realization that passed across her face before pure terror sunk in. "Oh! Oh my god, I am _sorry_ you guys… I'll… I'll call back in a little bit." She paused and shook her head. "I'll call back tomorrow." And the image fizzled out.

Raven turned and glared at Aqualad. "She's going to think we were having sex."

"Let her." His hands yanked at her hips and pulled her back under the covers. "Back to sleep."

"Garth… it's almost _noon_."

His eyes slid closed and he pulled the covers over their shoulders. "We were up late last night."

Raven blushed but continued to glare. "I'm _serious_. Get up."

"I'm serious too. Go back to sleep."

Raven picked up a pillow and struck his face. "This is absurd!"

He pushed the pillow out of the way and glared back at her, a frown tugging at the corners of her mouth. "You're telling me." His arms slid around her body and he yanked her against him, forcing her movements to still. "For the love of Poseidon, Raven… go back to sleep."

"But I…" Raven didn't have a chance to speak, his lips closed over her own and she suddenly forgot everything she was mad about. Her fingers threaded through his hair and she pulled him closer, breathing in the warm scent of his hair. His hands traced the smooth lines of her back before resting on her bottom.

"I like the lace panties."

Color flooded her face again and Raven hid in the folds of her pillow. "Bee made me bring them. She said they were for a last summer fling."

"Ah…" Aqualad settled deeper into his own pillow, looking at her. "And do you have many of those?"

Raven glared. "You know the answer to that."

Aqualad gave her a slow, sultry smile, and it was no mystery to Raven why she had fallen for him. "Nice to know I'm the only one." There was a heavy pause, and his fingers reached out to stroke her face. His thumb slid along her lower lip. "Although I hope I'm not _just _a summer fling."

Raven felt herself be lulled into sleep by his touch, and she smiled at him. "Me too."

)O(

_I know it's not exactly much of an ending. But there's supposed to be a bit more, but in a different piece. There was a piece that I was working on that inspired me to write this _"Gone to Sleep" _which I may or may not write. It is, however, available on my blog _Running With Toilet Paper and a Princess Wand. _Choose to read it or not, but be advised it is NOT complete. _

_Thank you again for reading it! And please let me know how you feel! If I need to make corrections or tie up loose ends, I need to know from the readers! You're the best part of writing!_


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